Kingdom Hearts: Last Battle
by gohangeorge
Summary: The last part of my own KH Trilogy. Returning OCs, new OCs, KH Characters, and Disney Characters all combine in a desperate struggle to save all worlds. High caliber action! Rated M for violence and blood.
1. Character Intros

Kingdom Hearts: Last Battle

The sequel to my (somewhat) popular KH fanfic, KH: Final Twilight. This time, everything will be resolved: the eternal struggle between light and darkness, the ties between the characters, and, in the end, Roy's past… four years after his clash with the Darkness of Eternity.  
-I do not claim to own Kingdom Hearts, any Disney characters, or characters the characters clothes, fighting styles, powers, or weapons are based off of. I do claim my OCs, though.

CHARACTER INTROS -note: the characters are given 'classes,' which give an apt description of their abilities.

**Original Characters**

Jake Hartmut

Age 17

Affinity: Dusk

Weapon: Longsword

Class: Ranger

Class Traits: Amateur combat skills and 'Nature' Magic

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Roy's younger brother. Jake played a minor role in the first two sagas, but with Roy's disappearance, becomes a major player.

Jake is an anime nut (notably Naruto). He occasionally blurts out phrases he managed to copy from Naruto anime fansubs and songs. Jake is, by nature, an annoying person, clearly doing things just to irritate people, and tends to act rather rashly at times. He took up the sword not only as a way of memorializing Roy (whom he believes is missing or dead), but also as a means to self-improvement; he was once quite heavy. His dark, brooding nature comes from the way his life has gone since Roy's disappearance; he shoulders many of the chores at home and since their father retired from the Army, their family has fallen on hard times...

Jake possesses few combat skills, but enough to take care of himself in a fight. Since no modern longsword school exists, he has been forced to imitate a style from fiction (much like Roy); his skills are well balanced (Form VI – Nimian). He also knows the hand signs for several jutsu from Naruto, notably the Chidori…

Aegle

Age 16

Affinity: Twilight

Weapon: Quarterstaff

Class: White Mage

Class Traits: Healing and Defensive Magic

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Blonde

Jake's girlfriend. She is calm and balanced, right between light and darkness. She is also an anime geek, but appreciates medieval conflict stories involving the classic dungeons and dragons. She does not appreciate Jake's combat skills; Aegle's motto is the hippie 'make peace, not war' saying.

Roy Hartmut – the 'Red, Brave Spirit'  
Age: 22

Affinity: Dawn (Light in his One-Winged Demon Form)  
Weapon: Gaia's Edge (pure, yellow orichalcum blade with an inverse Kingdom Key indentation on the blunt side of the sword; also possesses a phoenix-motif handguard)  
Class: Blademaster (Class Changed from Ronin; Ronin Class Changed from Warrior)  
Class Traits: Matchless physical combat skills, transformation skills, and energy waves (One-Winged Demon only)  
Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown

Roy Hartmut, the legendary hitokiri, will return. Known for his many transformations, peerless skill with the blade and overbearing strength, Roy is truly a force to be reckoned with.

In his past journeys, Roy saved the world twice: once from the light, once from the darkness. He was once cold and reserved, but after opening his heart near the end of his second journey, Roy fully accepted his feelings. He is one of two 'wounds in destiny' that currently exist; Roy's presence alters the designated path of those he comes in contact with, which resulted in the corruption of his dearest friends. This culminated in a cataclysmic battle with his light and darkness, Amy Riesa. She faded after he had defeated her, leaving him with these words: _We are each other's light and darkness. As long as you exist, so will I. So long as I exist, so will you…_

Roy, despite his great wisdom and knowledge, cannot use magic. To compensate for this, he has advanced his swordplay skills to the highest degree; it is highly unlikely that anyone else possesses the physical combat abilities to match, let alone defeat him, with pure physical combat. Roy's one weakness is magic (namely Green Magic), since he cannot compete with its range or effects. His Katayoku no Tenma form evens this out slightly, but Roy is still at a disadvantage when fighting mages.

Although his Class at the end of KH:FT was Blademaster and practiced Mace Windu's fighting style, Vaapad, Roy is a natural fighter; it is likely he has Class Changed to a Lv4 Class (the highest level) and, by now, may have developed a fighting style of his and his alone.

Roy was last seen wearing a red trenchcoat over his Dark Judgment (red and black Kratos' Judgment outfit; Tales of Symphonia) outfit.

Amy Riesa

Age: 21

Affinity: Darkness

Weapon: None (once possessed a katana and sakaboto)  
Class: Dark Valkyrie (Class Changed from Valkyrie; Valkyrie Class Changed from Red Mage)

Class Traits: Immense physical combat abilities and Dark Magic

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Amy Riesa, the other 'wound in destiny,' will also return. She was once a good, light-hearted swordswoman, but was corrupted by Senka, the container of the Darkness of Eternity.

Amy, deep in her heart, both loves and hates Roy, just as Roy, deep in his heart, both loves and hates Amy. This is because, over the course of two journeys, she showed affection for him, but because Roy was so wrapped up in self-pity, didn't return the affection. This is part of what corrupted her and egged her to battle Roy, which ended in her fading away. Amy wielded the Darkness of Eternity for a brief while after Roy had defeated Senka, using it to ascend to the Limits of Power and into an Akuma form and personality. Amy, along with Sora and Riku, are the only ones who know of Roy's dual existence as both himself and the Katayoku no Tenma (One-Winged Demon), and Roy is the only one who knows of her dual existence as herself and an Akuma (Demon/Devil).

Although possible, it is highly unlikely Amy is dead. She is likely wandering across the reformed world, searching for a way to splinter it. Amy possesses combat skills rivaled by only the best of warriors; she was once moderately skilled, but became immensely powerful through the darkness. Amy practiced an elegant fighting style based solely on blade-to-blade combat (Form II – Makashi). She was last seen wearing a red kimono similar in appearance to InuYasha's Robe of the Fire Rat.

Jason Rashar

Age: 21

Affinity: Dawn

Weapon: Keyblade

Class: Ronin (Class Changed from Warrior)

Class Traits: Great physical combat abilities

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Jason Rashar is the battle-hardened Keyblade Master of Earth. He is an impressive swordsman, but nowhere near Roy and Amy's level.

Jason is a quiet, serene man. He was corrupted and turned against Roy, but Roy managed to save him. He has never sealed a Keyhole, despite owning a Keyblade. Jason spends most of his time in the Radiant Garden's Castle with his girlfriend, Serenity. Jason also possesses few combat skills, but enough to be noted.

Jason was last seen wearing a coat exactly like Xemnas' white and black coat with his left arm hanging in a sling, giving him the appearance of a ronin. He may have become better in combat after four years, as well.

Serenity Sheno

Age: 16 -- 20

Affinity: Light

Weapon: None.  
Class: Green Mage

Class Traits: Green Magic

Eyes: Green

Hair: Brown

Serenity Sheno is the aforementioned girlfriend of Jason. She possesses no combat skills or weapons. She was held captive by Senka for the entirety of KH: FT, but was freed when Roy defeated the Darkness of Eternity.

Serenity plays no major part, but as an original character, she is worth mentioning.

**Kingdom Hearts Characters**

Sora Age: 20

Affinity: Light

Class: Hero (Class Changed from Defender; Defender Class Changed from Warrior)

Class Traits: Defensive combat abilities, Red Magic

Sora, the Hero of Light, will appear (albeit somewhat late). Due to the events that have transpired since KH: FT, Sora will play a smaller role.

Since Kairi was kidnapped by Senka prior to KH: FT, Sora had begun to walk down the dark path. He was further driven down the dark path by Roy, who (unwittingly) altered his destiny. Sora briefly became Senka's servant, and dueled Roy in order to free Kairi. Although Roy proved to be stronger (even against Sora's Darkness-enhanced Drive Forms), his inexperience with his new Aether Form, combined with Sora's usage of Protect magic, caused him to physically lose the duel. Roy was, however, able to turn Sora back to the light through persuasion (no doubt helped by his destiny-altering presence).

Sora then accompanied Roy for the rest of their journey, but instead of seeing what was meant to be in Senka's Castle, he saw the future that had transpired as a result of Roy being a 'wound in destiny.' He then helped Roy to defeat the Darkness of Eternity (following Roy's defeat of Amy through the usage of his One-Winged Demon form), despite being unable to harm it at all.

Kairi was freed upon the subsequent defeat of the Darkness of Eternity. He and Kairi then went back to the islands in the reformed world, presumably to live happily ever after.

Riku

Age: 21

Affinity: Dawn

Class: Dark Knight (Class Changed from Knight; Knight Class Changed from Fighter)

Class Traits: Great physical combat abilities, minor Dark Magic, and illusionary magic

Riku, described by Senka as the 'Dark Knight,' will return as well (he will have his own story segment).

Riku traveled with Roy for almost the entirety of their journey to defeat Senka. He was a reliable companion (as opposed to their other companions, all of whom fell to darkness at one point or another) and a great warrior. He was able to match (if not defeat) Jason after he had fallen to the darkness.

Riku, like Roy, was previously tempted and overcome by the darkness. He mused that it was because he and Roy knew the darkness that they were able to turn away from it. He battled alongside Roy after the war with Senka, following him all the way to their battle with the Darkness of Eternity. He later realized, along with Roy, that it is their paths to be alone.

It is unknown what has happened to Riku (along with all the other characters who were in the Radiant Garden at the end of KH: FT), but is likely he has gone back to the islands, but to what end is unknown.

Kairi

Age: 20

Affinity: Light

Class: Red Mage

Class Traits: Minor physical combat skills and minor White and Black Magic

Kairi, as aforementioned, was held captive by Senka (along with Serenity) until Roy defeated the Darkness of Eternity and reformed the world.

It is certain she followed Sora, since there was nothing separating them any longer after the defeat of the Darkness and the reformation of the worlds.

The Story Thus Far…  
Four years have passed since Roy, Sora, and Riku reformed the worlds. Though the worlds were at peace, Amy's presence may have upset everything: she became the sieve for darkness. To that end, a struggle born of the darkness, ending in the final fate of all worlds, will begin…


	2. Prologue

Prologue: Seven Days

Day 1 - Sunday "Man! Why do I have to mow the lawn?" I asked. "Dammit, I did it last time!"

"Be quiet and do what you're told, Jake!" my father shouted back.

"But I wanted to go practice…" I muttered.

"Stop talking back! Get it done!" my father shouted again.

I suppose I ought to introduce myself. I'm Jake Hartmut… the last of my three siblings that live in our house. My older brother finally got an apartment of his own (thank goodness!), and my other older brother… Roy… he disappeared some time ago. I'm not sure what happened to him… but I…

Our sputtering, old lawnmower slowly whirred to life as I yanked on the pull string for the twelfth time. I mowed the lawn and was finished by 3 o'clock. Then I went to my room, grabbed my long sword, went out back, and trained till 6 o'clock. Considering my sword was the only thing sacred to me anymore…

Things have… changed a lot since Roy disappeared. Our father recently retired from the military, and he hasn't been able to find a job yet. So while we don't have too many money problems, he's been really grouchy lately. So I don't have much to escape to… besides my training and reading manga… plus school, but everyone has that.

Regardless, school was tomorrow, and I was pretty tired after training for a while. I ate my dinner, hung out with my parents for a little while, even though I'd rather spend my time with my friends. After 10 o'clock, I went up to my room to 'go to bed,' which meant I would read old Naruto manga. I went to bed at about midnight.

Day 2 – Monday "How are you, Aegle? I hope you didn't work too hard over the weekend," I said.

"No harder than you worked, sweetie. Besides, I know how hard you dad's been on you lately," my girlfriend answered. We were in lunch, the only time we really have together besides after school. We both have jobs, and so we don't get to spend much time together after school. I love her, though.

"Ah, don't worry about me. I've had to deal with stuff like that for four years," I replied. "Since my older brothers just up and disappeared, I've gotten used to it."

"Well, don't work too hard. It's just too bad you have to work today," Aegle said seductively, "because I don't have to work today."

"Oh, well. No sense in wishing for what I can't have," I sighed. "I just wish I had more time to train."

"You're still training with that sword? I can't believe you!" Aegle shouted. "I told you it's pointless to train with that sword! You'll never see real combat with that thing!"

"You don't know that!" I said back. "Even so, I train to improve and calm myself."

"That's just an excuse," she said.

"An excuse is an excuse," I replied. "You're not my boss, anyway." The bell rang seconds later. "I need to get to Art Class, so if you'll excuse me…" I said, getting up.

"Yeah, yeah," Aegle replied as I walked off.

Work that night… was a bad day. Everyone seemed on edge… like something odd was going on. I went home and went to bed right away at 11 o'clock.

Day 3 – Tuesday "What's going on? Why does everyone seem on edge lately?" I asked, somewhat annoyed. I was sitting in Art Class, even though two fights had broken out in school that day.

"Be quiet! I'm concentrating on my painting!" somebody yelled at me.

Geez, I thought to myself. Everyone's so edgy. What the hell's going on?

I finished my day at school, went to work (which was filled with grumpy people, as well), then went home and collapsed on my bed.

Day 4 – Wednesday "Damn! What's with everybody?" I asked Aegle. We were sitting at lunch again, eating our tiny hamburgers. They weren't very filling.

"How should I know? It's not like I feel any different," she answered.

"It's just… odd. Everybody seems on edge. Shoot, a dozen fights have broken out and it's only lunchtime! What's going on?" I asked again.

"I… don't know. But if things keep going on like this, they might have to close the school," Aegle answered. "That would suck."

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, finishing my burger just as the bell rang. The rest of the day was uneasy as well. Many more fights broke out, making me glad I know how to drive. There were tons of wrecks, and I got to work late.

"What's… going on?" I asked myself before going to bed.

Day 5 – Thursday "One more screw-up, and you're fired!" my manager yelled at me.

"I didn't even do anything! Chill out, man!" I said back.

"Shut it and get back to work!" he yelled again.

"Man, what's wrong with everyone? It's like they're all crabby. Shoot…" I muttered. "Everyone was all good and happy until a few days ago…"

"Don't worry about it, man," one of my coworkers said. "Just chill out. It'll pass."

"Yeah, I suppose so," I said. "Still…"

"Just be quiet and work. That's the only way you'll escape their evil eye," he said. I got back to work.

Day 6 – Friday "Ah, shoot! I suck at math!" I muttered to myself. "I didn't even study for this test!"

"Hey, don't worry about it. There's only three people in the class left! How bad can we possibly do?" one of my classmates asked. Almost everyone was suspended from school, leaving only about 75 kids in the cafeteria. Aegle had been suspended as well, though it was because she tried to stop a fight.

"I'm not… it's just…" I muttered, munching on my overly greasy pizza. "I'm worried about everything that's been going on. It's almost as mysterious as…" I trailed off.

"What?" my classmate asked.

"…nothing," I said, taking another greasy bite. The bell rang as I finished my lunch. I headed back to math class where the room was nearly silent. I knew I failed the test.

I went home to my parents' bickering, then went upstairs to read manga. I went to bed around 2 o'clock, having surfed the internet and played some MMORPG.

Day 7 – Saturday "So, how harsh were your parents on you?" I asked Aegle. We were in her room near the town square, since she lived in an apartment with her parents.

"Not too bad. They're too busy fighting with each other to care about it, really," she replied. "It's like they're being blinded…"

"It's odd, too. Only a few people haven't been seriously irritable these past few days," I mused, "and only the little children haven't shown signs of irritability… rage, at all."

"Hm… well, maybe we should go to the town square. We could rally the people there, maybe start a petition to get everyone checked into a psych ward," Aegle laughed.

"…whatever," I muttered. "So are we going or what?"

"Let me just tell my parents. Mom! Dad! I'm going out!"

No reply.

"MOM! DAD!" Aegle shouted again. Still no reply.

We went out of her room to check out the rest of the apartment. Her parents were nowhere to be found.

"Well, what do we do?" I asked.

"We're going," Aegle said forcefully. She then went into her room and came back with her curtain rod.

"What's that for?" I asked curiously.

"I'll need it," she replied.

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling I have."

"Then let's go get my weapon," I suggested. "My sword."

"You and that damn sword," Aegle complained. "Fine. But we have to be quick!"

We got in my car, dashed through the eerily silent and empty streets to my house, and I grabbed my sword real quick. We then attempted to get to the town square… but traffic was backed up… by people.

"What the hell's going on!?" I shouted, jumping out of the car. Everyone was fighting… with Keyblades. I could see the town's fair population attacking each other mercifully with the blunt weapons.

"Aegle…" I said. "Stay here. I'll try and get to the town square."

"How are you going to do that?" she asked me.

"I'll break my way through them!" I shouted, unsheathing my sword. "Every last one!"

I charged into the mob before Aegle could reply. I managed to cut a swath through all the people, though I was horrified at the blood flying everywhere. I managed to force my way to the fountain in the center of the town square. I stood on the fountain, overlooking the havoc.

"What's going on?" I asked, now desperate. I could only think of one person who could help me now.

"ROY!!! WHERE ARE YOU?" I screamed at the sky with my eyes closed. I lowered my head and opened my eyes to see darkness falling in the streets. It was pitch-black darkness… a darkness that covered and hid everything. I stood in the circle of light that was the fountain, and the darkness waited a moment.

"What… is going on?" I asked as the darkness fell around me… 


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Trust Me

"Aagh… this darkness…" I muttered to myself, finally opening my eyes. The darkness had wholly swallowed me, and when I opened my eyes…

"This is… from that old video game that Lance, Roy and I liked so much…" I muttered to myself, looking around. "This is… um… what's it called again? Oh, yeah! The Radiant Garden."

I began walking around. I was in the Bailey, just a bit away from the Borough. I went there, though the town was nearly devoid of people… I didn't see anyone anywhere until I made it to the Borough. Aegle was there with her curtain rod, stamping it into the bricks until I walked up.

"Jake! What happened?" she asked.

"Like I know. This place is a little familiar, though," I commented. "It's from a video game my brothers and I used to play a lot."

"Um… um… Kingdom Hearts, isn't it?" Aegle asked me.

"That's it! That's the one!" I exclaimed. "But what are we doing here?"

"Who knows? At any rate," I said, finally sheathing my sword, "we need to find out what's going on. I'm scared…"

"Of what?" Aegle asked angrily. "You're the one with the sword."

"I've never been in a real fight…" I muttered. "I didn't have anyone to teach me how to fight… so I'm afraid I'm not strong enough."

"To do what?" A mysterious voice asked.

I turned around to see a silver-cloaked man standing atop a building. He had his hood up so I couldn't see his face, but I noticed he was carrying some sort of sword. And there was something familiar about him… something I couldn't quite place my finger on.

"So that's what she meant by 'the Divines…'" he muttered to himself, totally ignoring us. "What to do, what to do…"

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Aegle angrily shouted at the man.

"I've got to end this pointless Keyblade War before anyone else gets involved… but there's so many," the man continued muttering to himself. "Can even I take down this many?"

"HEY! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" I shouted at the top of my lungs. The man finally turned so it looked like he was looking at us.

"So, you're relatively untouched by the darkness, too? Odd… I haven't seen you in a long while," he said to me. "Hm… looks like things are more complicated than I thought."

"What are you mumbling about? Who… are you?" I asked.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment, so I asked for his name again.

"…Ike," he replied after a lot of hesitation. "And just so you know, I don't need your name. I don't have time for this," the man said, then began dashing across the rooftops.

"Hey! Come back here!" I yelled, running after the enigma. Aegle shouted something at me, probably cursing and stamping her curtain rod into the ground as I ran off, but I didn't care. I needed to know who that man was… he was so unsettling… so familiar…

I managed to catch Ike just as he was about to go through a stone archway that led out to the Courtyard. He was taking slow steps. Closer up, I could see he was also wearing hand wraps that went down to his knuckles. His sword was odd… it had some sort of red handguard and a golden scabbard.

"Who… are you?" I asked, breathing heavily.

"Somebody that doesn't really matter," he replied, still walking and not turning around.

"You… you said you didn't need my name? How's that?" I asked, having regained my breath.

"I already know your name, Jake," he replied to my surprise. "And don't get involved in my affairs. You wouldn't like it. Trust me."

The man… Ike then walked through the dark stone archway, his silver cloak shimmering in the sunlight. I hesitated, then followed him after a few minutes… 


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Dark Clouds

There was nothing in the Courtyard. I looked around at the place, which was even more ravaged than I remembered. The crystal cliffs were scored with nicks.

"Who could have done this?" I asked myself under my breath. I kept going forward. A few Shadows appeared, but I cut them down easily.

"This can't be all that there is…" I muttered to myself, looking around a little harder. I then walked over to the edge of the cliffs, looking down into the trench surrounding the old castle. There was a sea of darkness below. It seemed a bit ominous.

"I've gotta get going! That Ike character ran this way!" I shouted, leaving my revere. I ran forward toward the Crystal Fissure, taking out all the Heartless that spawned in my way. I felt… odd, though, as I approached the Fissure. There was an unfamiliar presence in the air…

I dashed into the empty Fissure, then found my way to the bluff overlooking the Great Maw. There was somebody there, though, and he wasn't wearing a silver cloak. Instead, he was wearing some sort of black kimono… and I could see a Keyblade in his hands.

"Who are you?" I asked, placing my hands on my sword hilt. I'd never tried it before, but I had read a lot of Ruroni Kenshin, so I figured I could pull a batto-jutsu if I had to. But the black-haired man stayed silent as he turned around. Something was off-putting about him, but not in the way Ike was off-putting.

For some reason, this guy seems like me… I thought to myself.

He walked over to me with the Keyblade in hand. I drew my sword, certain that this would end in a fight. It did.

I dodged the man's initial slash, dodging it and swiping at his feet. He jumped over my attack, attempting to bash me on the head. I pivoted on my arm, getting out of the way, then got back on my feet. The man was already attempting another attack, again trying to smash my shoulders. I sidestepped to dodge it.

I repeated my previous move, once again pivoting to avoid the counterattack. I jumped back after this time, though. I then got into Saito's Gatotsu stance. I waited for his next move, jumped to the side, and then stuck him in the stomach. He staggered back, seemingly unharmed, as I stood there, horrified.

I had injured a man in mortal combat. How could I…

I didn't have much time to react. I blocked the man's next stroke, then got into the Gatotsu stance again. This time I made the first move, attempting another thrust. He dodged this, but I used the second move… the turning thrust, to cleave the man in half. I was… horrified…

"How could I have just…" I muttered, sheathing my sword. I then put my head in my hands. "How could I…"

"Not everyone takes death so lightly," I heard someone's voice say. I turned around to see Ike, walking forward slowly.

"I just… killed a man…" I said, too shocked to be shocked by Ike's sudden appearance.

"That man was not truly human. He was a mere puppet of the darkness," Ike told me. "If you fear death, you should not carry that blade." He motioned toward my sword with one of his bandaged hands.

"You… you don't decide everything. Who do you think you are, making pronouncements like that?!" I asked him angrily, still shocked at what I had just done.

"If you fear death, you should not carry its instruments," he said again, stopping in front of the path to the Great Maw. He then turned around, grabbed my sword, and went back to the opening before I could react. He's… fast! I thought to myself.

"Give me back my sword!" I shouted at him furiously. He didn't reply, but just stood there.

If this is a fictional world, I though to myself, then I can do fictional things! Just like Naruto!

I made the hand seals for the Chidori as fast as I could. I closed my eyes, then placed my left hand on my right arm, focusing all my energy into it.

Please, let this work! I prayed.

"CHIDORI!!!" I shouted I opened my eyes to see a small fizzle of lightning appear in my hand, but a few moments later it turned into full-on lightning. I looked up at Ike, who had turned around.

"Give me back my blade. If you don't," I threatened, "I'll cut you down with another."

"Wow. You managed such an impressive technique already… I expected less from you," he taunted. I lost it completely, charging at him, hearing the chirping of a thousand birds around me as I did so. But Ike didn't move. He instead pulled out his sword and held it in a horizontal position, still sheathed, so that it would connect with my Chidori. He pulled out the blade at the last moment, causing my Chidori to strike it instead of him.

I was blown back by the force, slammed into a wall. Some of the crystals crumbled around me, binding my arms and legs. I was stuck… pinned under the rocks…

"Well, that's that," Ike said, now carrying his sheathed and my unsheathed sword. He walked over to me slowly. "You've made my job easier by 0.01 percent. Thanks."

"You… you bastard…" I coughed, incapacitated by the rock. "Who… who are you?"

"Let's see… are you dark or light? I wonder…" he mused, brandishing my sword. "I think I'll judge your soul. Here it comes!"

He held my sword over my shoulder. It glowed yellow.

"What… what are you going to do?" I asked shakily. I'm scared…

"Nothing… just awaken you to your true self," Ike replied, letting the blade sink into my skin. A searing pain swept through me, pervading my entire being. Everything hurt… I started crying simply from pain as I felt something begin to form on my shoulder.

"So, darkness. Just be careful not to go too deeply into it. You could lose yourself," Ike said. He then went over to the portal to the Great Maw, tossed my sword at me, and said only a few words before I passed out.

"Well, then, looks like it's time for me end this," he said, springing out into the Great Maw. I passed out moments later… 


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Silence Before the Storm

After passing out, I found myself in the town square again. I looked at the me of hours ago, trembling at the sight of blood.

"Aah!" I shouted, waking up. I found myself in a bed. I could see a stained glass window, and a stone archway that led out onto a balcony. I threw the blanket and comforter aside, and managed to get to my feet before I staggered back onto the bed. My shoulder… it huts like hell… I thought to myself at the throbbing pain on my shoulder.

"Wh-where am I?" I asked myself. I got to my feet again, this time managing to stay on them. I grabbed my sword, putting it in one of my belt loops, then went out the archway. The sky was twilit… it must have been dusk. Some of the clouds in the sky were grey. I felt at peace.

"You finally woke up, huh?" someone asked. I turned around to see Aegle, still carrying her curtain rod. She stamped over to me, clearly frustrated.

"Why did you run off? Do you know how hard it was to find someone that could help us?" she asked furiously.

"Heh… sorry. That man, though…" I muttered to myself.

"Ike?"

"Yeah. He seems familiar," I said to myself. "Like he's a far-off memory."

"Well, we ARE not on earth any more. So it's anyone's guess," Aegle said with a smile. "For all we know, he's Sephiroth."

"No way. Sephiroth doesn't carry that kind of sword," I said, remembering the silver-coated man's sword. "Besides, Sephiroth's evil."

"You've got a point. Well, what now?" she asked me.

"Now, we've got to find someone that can really help us. Considering where we are, I'd say you found Leon and got him to help?" I asked.

"Yeah… but his name's Squall," Aegle said. We argued for a few minutes over his name, and I won.

"Whatever," she said, exasperated. "Well, let's get some advice from him."

"Okay," I said, going out the door Aegle had come in. We went around, through narrow passages, to find Leon sitting at Ansem's Computer.

"Hey, Squall. We need a little help," Aegle said, stamping her curtain rod into the ground to get his attention.

"So, what do you need? I've already helped you get some rest," he said, not turning around.

"We just need a little direction. From what we understand, there's this silver-robed man we need to find. He could tell us some more about what's going on," Aegle told him.

"Sorry, but I don't have anyone to escort you, and only one ruddy Gummi Ship to spare. Everyone else is out trying to find out what's going on, too," Leon said, turning around in his chair.

"That'll manage. So, who should we go see?" I asked him.

"So, you're… who?" he asked.

"Jake. Jake Hartmut."

"Hartmut? Are you… related to Roy?"

"Roy?! How do you know him?" I asked, stupefied. How could Leon know… Roy…

"Well, he's not around anymore, if that's what you wanted to know about him. He disappeared three years ago," Leon said. "He popped up four years ago and fought the darkness alongside us. He had some sort of insane strength."

"That sounds like Roy. Confusing and strong. Well, at least I know he's alive," I said to myself. "So, what can you do us for?"

"I've got a basic Invincible Gummi Ship left, but that's all. So, go see Yen Sid. He's always helpful when you need a little knowledge to light your way," Leon said. He handed us a couple of small communicators. "Press that, and you'll be teleported to your Gummi Ship. You can't do it when there's Heartless or Nobodies around, though, so be careful."

"All right, we understand," Aegle said. She pressed her communicator and disappeared in a flash of light. I stayed a moment, though.

"What do you think of Roy?" I asked Leon.

"He's strong, courageous, selfless, and honorable. A true hero, up with Sora in terms of nobility," Leon told me. "A bit unreliable, though."

"I see. Thanks," I said, pressing my communicator. I found myself on the bridge of our Gummi Ship, where Aegle had already taken up the left wingman's seat. I sat in the captain's chair.

"Let's go! Ike's waiting for us!" I shouted, and then punched the ignition button. We blasted away, and after an unremarkable space battle, found ourselves in Twilight Town. It was odd, though. Completely empty.

"It's a ghost town. If nobody's here, how are we supposed to get to Yen Sid?" Aegle asked herself.

"We just follow the train tracks! Let's go!" I shouted, running off. I wasn't sure where I was going, but I was pretty sure I would find my way. After a little while I found the train station, where Aegle was already waiting.

"What took you so long?" she asked me.

"I couldn't find my way," I said, panting for breath. "This town's bigger than I thought."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going," Aegle said, hopping down onto the train tracks. I followed her, and we silently walked across the train tracks. I felt tense, and the wound Ike had given me a day or so ago still hurt.

"There's the barrier," she said, pointing to where the tracks end. I led her over to the edge of the tracks, and we used them as a balance beam as we crossed through the barrier. We managed to balance across it, then set foot on Yen Sid's island.

"The answers are just ahead. Let's go!" I said, looking up at Yen Sid's tower as I ran over to the doors. I shoved them open and dashed through the confusing hallways as fast as my feet would go. I eventually went bursting through a grand door at the top of a staircase, finding Yen Sid on the other side.

"Who are you? Ah… one cursed by the darkness," Yen Sid said as I walked into the room, panting and out of breath.

"I want answers! Who's Ike? Where's Roy? Answer me!" I shouted through my heavy breathing, barely managing to shout.

"Be patient. Other important matters pertain before your desires," Yen Sid said as Aegle walked into the room.

"What… other 'important matters?' I need to find Ike! He's the one with answers!" I said.

"I have never heard of an Ike," Yen Sid told me. "But you have a mission. You two have been brought into this conflict for a reason, and you must fulfill that purpose."

"And what reason is that?" Aegle asked him.

"You must defeat the light. You, the one cursed by darkness," Yen Sid said, pointing at me. "The brother of the wound in destiny."

"Wound… in destiny?" I asked, perplexed.

"Never mind. You must find Charon, the Divine of Light, and end him. Only then will the answers you seek be yours," Yen Sid told me. "And, first, you will need appropriate traveling garments. See the fairies in the next room for some help."

"Wait. Why should we just go along with this?" Aegle asked him.

"You don't have much of a choice or anything else left. And Jake here wants his answers," Yen Sid said. I went through the door as Aegle continued arguing with Yen Sid. On the other side were the three fairies. I didn't know their names, but they were all over me in moments.

"What would you like, dear?" the red fairy asked me after backing off.

"Hm… a trench coat. Those are badass," I commented to myself. After a flash of light, I found myself standing in a blue trench coat, but still wearing my old clothes under them. This coat was familiar, though…

"We made this coat from your memory," the green fairy informed me.

"So, I've seen this before," I said.

"Yes… somewhere in your memories. I like the blue, as well," the blue fairy chimed in.

I know this! This is from that one game Roy used to play… I thought to myself. Devil May Cry! This is Vergil's coat!

"Thanks," I said, stepping out to Aegle, who was still arguing with Yen Sid. She went to the other room seconds after I exited it.

"So, who's Charon?" I asked him.

"An old bioweapon of the light, made solely for destroying Xehanort. Your brother defeated him. However…" Yen Sid began.

"Wait. Roy defeated the light?" I asked.

"Several years ago. Your brother is far more important than you realize… he has played enough of a role thus far, and I know he will not disappear. Regardless, you must find and defeat Charon," Yen Sid told me.

"How do I find him?" I asked.

"He will find you. Even so, you must be prepared. You will be strong enough in the end, so long as you have not been touched too much by the wound," Yen Sid said as Aegle walked back through the door. She was now wearing a white, unhooded robe, and carried a wooden quarterstaff instead of a curtain rod.

"Let's go," she said instantly, teleporting away. I had something else to take care of, though. I felt a presence again… his presence… 


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Rise to the Challenge

"I feel a presence. A presence I've not felt since…" I muttered to myself.

"What are you talking about?" Yen Sid asked.

"Ike… he's here," I said, walking off and climbing down the tower. My spiffy new coat ruffled as I jumped from staircase to staircase, eager to find Ike… eager for my answers.

After leaving the tower, I went over to the luminous train tracks. I saw a shimmering just ahead, and knew Ike had just gone through the barrier. I pursued him, once again balancing on the train tracks. I made it to the barrier and passed through back into the normal Twilight Town. Ike was already at the tunnel under the Sunset Hill.

He appeared to be walking slowly, and his silver cloak dragged slightly behind him. I ran up to him, my footsteps echoing through the empty town. I stopped short to shout at him.

"You! Ike! I want answers!" I shouted, jabbing a finger at him.

"Sorry, I don't have any answers for you. Not now, anyway," he replied, continuing his slow gait. "Be careful. Don't let the darkness swallow you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, frustrated with Ike's unreliability and cryptic comments. "The darkness holds no grasp over me!"

"Believe what you will," Ike said, stopping at last, "but know the truth. You have a heart steeped in darkness. If you don't turn away from that path, it could consume you."

I made the hand seals for the Katon: G?kaky? no Jutsu, then breathed fire at him. He didn't seem to move, but once the flames had died down, he was still standing there… unscathed…

"I want answers, and I want them now, dammit!" I demanded.

"You'd turn your blade against me for nothing more than answers? Then so be it…" Ike muttered, finally drawing his sword. It was brilliant… a single-edged sword made of some sort of yellow stone. And there was this odd indentation on his blunt edge, but I wasn't sure what it was.

"Know this: if you choose to fight me, you won't like it. You'll undoubtedly be hurt… maybe even killed," he said. "Sorry, but I don't know the meaning of restraint. I'll try and hold back, though."

"I don't give a damn! If I have to fight you to get my answers, then I will!" I yelled indignantly at him. "Stop acting like you're superior!"

"But I am…" he muttered, turning around. I couldn't see his face since his hood was still up, but after leaving the tunnel, his coat shimmered in the twilight. "You don't have a chance."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, charging at him. Ike didn't seem to be reacting; he just stood there. I planned to cut his torso in two, like I had done to the Keyblade man, but at the last moment he knocked my attack aside with his own sword! He just stood there, even though I was wide open! I jumped back.

"How could you deflect an attack so fast?" I asked him.

"Oh, did you say something?" Ike asked, picking his ears. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"You…" I growled. "Don't underestimate me!" I sheathed my sword, then made the hand seals for the Chidori. I looked down and closed my eyes.

Focus… concentrate. Move all your energy to your hand and…!

"Is that the best you've got? I'm disappointed…" he muttered as the noise of a thousand chirping birds surrounded me. I opened my eyes, looked up and stared straight at his hooded eyes.

"Give me the truth. Who are you?!" I shouted.

"The truth? The truth is you can't handle the truth," Ike said coldly. "You're weak. An insignificant speck beneath my notice, really."

"Oh, YEAH?!" I shouted, charging at him as fast as my feet would move. A thousand birds chirped around me on my approach, blazing across the train tracks. Ike didn't move until the last minute again, this time grabbing my electric-crackling wrist. He then twisted it, throwing me and whacking me in the back of the head with the blunt edge of his sword. I went flying across the train tracks…

"Ow…" I muttered, staggering to my feet. Ike was probably about a hundred feet away.

His strength is staggering! It's otherworldly... but I don't sense anything odd from him!

"I told you, that's pathetic. You can't change direction after executing that skill, and you're severely limited to two times per day," he said. "However, there are other techniques that aren't so restrictive."

He held out his wrapped hand, and a sphere of crimson energy began to form. It swirled and compressed, forming a perfect sphere in his hand.

"That can't be…" I muttered. "Rasengan…"

"You think you're strong, but you're not. Leave now, or I'll use this," he said, referring to his Rasengan.

"Like it matters! I've still got my Chidori ready!" I yelled at him. "So bring it!"

"So be it…" he muttered, charging at me. I mirrored his charge, watching his cloak flap around in the wind. He was faster than me, and we met each other sooner than I expected. Our forces clashed, Sasuke vs. Naruto style, which ended in me being thrown back I don't know how far.

How can someone stand against the Chidori? He's stronger, better, faster than me… I thought to myself. I won't let him beat me! I WILL get my answers!

I felt some sort of accursed strength flow into me as I passed through the barrier. I recovered, grabbed one of the railroad tracks, and threw myself back to the battle with Ike.

NEW Ability!  
Jake – Rai no Juin (Cursed Seal of Lightning): Jake's Cursed Seal, unintentionally given to him by Ike. It normally rests as three lightning bolts in a circular pattern on his shoulder. When used, it glows yellow as it spreads across Jake's body, forming in a jagged pattern. As with other Cursed Seals, the Rai no Juin gives Jake greatly increased abilities depending on how far he lets it spread.

After I had caught up with Ike, who once again had his back turned, I gave him a palm slam to the back. He skidded forward, but very little. Ike then jumped backward and turned around simultaneously.

"So… that's your way," Ike said, unsurprised by my cursed seal. "Don't walk down that path. It'll only lead to ruin and despair."

"What would you know about the darkness?" I snarled at him.

"I know the power of the darkness. I know what it costs…" he muttered. "I know what it's worth. And trust me; the darkness isn't worth what it costs."

"And what does it cost?" I snarled again, getting ready to fight.

"Your self, your being, and in the end, your heart," he said. "You don't know the power of the darkness, but you now know what it costs. It's your choice."

"I don't care. Give me my answers!" I shouted, charging at him with my sword outstretched. He simply knocked it aside, though, and once again sent me skidding across the train tracks. I got up faster, once again ready to charge at him.

Ike had dashed over to me. He attacked me, but I defended against his attack. We attacked and parried each other several times, which ended in us being thrown across the train tracks in opposite directions.

"Impressive," Ike sneered at me.

"Shut up!" I shouted, making hand seals. I blasted him with Katon: Kary? Endan, which engulfed the entire bridge. He disappeared and hammered down from above, attempting to cleave me in two. I managed to block the attack, though the force made me drop to my knees. I recovered fast enough to thrust his stomach, but Ike grabbed my sword with his spare hand.

His blood flowed down my sword, but I didn't care anymore. Ike put one boot on my sword and jumped back, bleeding all the way. He was unfazed; though… it was almost like that cut didn't affect him!

"Are you ignoring your pain?" I asked.

"No… I was already wounded there," he replied.

"What?" I asked.

"Some wounds will never heal," Ike said cryptically. "Well, then, I suppose it's time I ended this."

"Let's see you try!" I shouted, using Bunshin no Jutsu to make three clones. These clones will confuse him, I thought.

"Pathetic," he said in response to my technique. "I have slain thousands; three clones won't hinder me."

"Then bring it!" I snarled at him. In an instant, Ike had slain my three clones. He then held his blade to my throat, though he had his head down.

"I told you… pathetic," he repeated. He then turned his sword around, hitting me with its blunt edge and sending me flying across the train tracks. I recovered after skidding for a little bit, but once I had managed to do so, Ike was… gone.

I let the dark, cursed strength leave me… exhausted from the usage of my cursed seal, I felt like I was about to faint. I fell face first onto the train tracks, mashing my communicator just before I passed out. 


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Oh, Light...!

"Ow..." I muttered, opening my eyes. I found myself in the Infirmary of our Gummi Ship. Small as it was, there was a nice little bed that I was lying in. I threw the sheet off myself and jumped to my feet.

That cursed seal… where'd I get it? I thought. Well, no time to ponder it now!

I grabbed my sword and dashed through the narrow halls of the Gummi Ship. Seconds later, I was on the Bridge, where Aegle was already sitting at the chair left of the captain's seat. She sighed as I approached my special seat (the Captain's Seat, that is).

"What's wrong?" I asked, plopping down in the captain's seat.

"Hey. You finally woke up," Aegle said. "What happened to you? We're off to find your brother, and this one guy... what's his name..."

"Charon," I said.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, we were off to find them, and you just up and left me!" she shouted.

"You're the one who left me. I didn't go anywhere, and you just disappeared! What's up with that?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter," Aegle said, crossing her arms and turning around in her seat. "So, what happened to you?"

"Nothing. I just had a little scuffle with that Ike," I answered.

"It wasn't a scuffle. You had a twisted wrist!" she shouted.

My wrist does hurt a little... I muttered, gripping my wrist.

"It's... nothing," I said.

"So, what now?" Aegle asked me.

"Now, we have three objectives: find Roy, find Charon, and defeat Ike," I said. "Since I know Roy's alive, I have to find him. It's our job to kill this Charon character. And I know, that Ike has all the answers we're looking for," I said. "So, let's get to it!" I shouted, jumping out of my chair and making a dramatic pose, pointing toward the stars.

"Uh… what are you going on about?" Aegle asked me, staring oddly.

"Sorry… I just had to," I said. "It's the truth, anyways."

"Yeah… let's just go back to the Radiant Garden for now. Hopefully, someone else will be there," Aegle said. "They'll help us… I hope…"

"No sense in worrying about it, right? Let's go!" I yelled, punching a button. We were blasted the short distance to the castle, where we beamed down momentarily. We popped up in the Borough, walking over to the castle. There, at the gates, we found someone in familiar clothing. He had… black hair in a bowl cut.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"Oh, me? I'm Jason…" he muttered, turning around. He donned Xemnas' coat, but his right arm was in a sling inside the coat. He looked like a ronin. "What can I do you for?"

"Eh… we're looking for a few people," I said. "Roy Hartmut, someone named Charon, and this silver-cloaked guy… Ike."

"Silver-cloaked Ike? Never heard of him," he said, shrugging. "I knew Roy, but he disappeared a few years back. As for Charon, Roy once said he'd killed him, but that's all he said about it."

"Then it's hopeless…" I sighed, shrugging my shoulders and hanging my head.

"Well, I've told you my name. What's yours?" he asked.

"Jake. Jake Hartmut," I answered.

"You must be related to Roy… I think he mentioned you. Oh, yeah! You're his pestering little brother!" Jason said.

"Real nice…" I muttered to myself.

"I'm Aegle. Nice to meet 'cha," Aegle said, extending her left hand.

"Uh, geez, this is awkward," Jason muttered, pulling his right hand out of his coat. He shook her hand, then put it back in his coat.

"What's with the coat and putting your arm in it? You look like a ronin," I said.

"I got hurt here some time ago, and it hasn't fully healed. I doubt it ever will," he said. "This coat is a reminder of what the darkness made me into."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. Sorry I couldn't help," he said, walking off. I turned around and went the other way, leaving Aegle to figure something out. I meandered through the echoing town, once again fighting my way to the Dark Depths.

I sat down on the cliff overlooking the old castle, letting my legs and feet hang over the edge. I stared into the cloudy sky, eventually lying down and taking a nap.

I awoke to an odd voice. I hadn't heard it before.

"So, you're the one destined to face me. But you're so weak…"

I sprang to my feet. Near the entrance was a white-cloaked, blonde-haired, grey-eyed man.

"Who the hell're you?" I asked.

"Oh, just someone who opposes what you stand for. So, what is your goal?" the mysterious man asked.

"Like it matters to you. And what do you man, you oppose what I stand for?" I asked.

"The darkness. The darkness deep in your heart, and the darkness you wear. I will destroy them both," he said. I sensed some serious hostility in his steel eyes.

"You can't destroy the darkness!" I yelled, unsheathing my sword. "It's eternal!"

"Hmph. He once said something similar," the man said, crossing his arms. Two lances of light appeared in his crossed arms.

"What?" I shouted at him.

"I… am Charon, the Master of Light. For someone of darkness to oppose me is not only folly, it is impossible," he said.

"Unless you're stronger than Ike, you're going down right now!" I shouted, brandishing my sword. "Come and get some!"

Charon wasted no time attacking. He made two thrusts, as per a lance, but I nimbly dodged the attacks. I thrusted my sword at his stomach, but Charon had superior reach; my blade was just short of piercing him. He jumped back, then once again blazed at me.

I again dodged the move, then knocked one of his lances aside. We battled quickly, attacking and defending from each other's attacks, then jumped back.

"You're better than your brother was the first time I fought him, though not by much," he sneered. The other lance had reappeared in his hand.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" I yelled, letting my cursed seal go. This shocked even Charon…

"This is most unexpected," Charon said, regaining his composure. "Even so, it is nothing I cannot handle."

"Can it! Let's do this!" I yelled, blazing at him. I clanged my sword against his lance, then used the recoil it caused him to dash around his back, though he managed to dash away. I nicked him in the shoulder.

"Very impressive," Charon taunted, teleporting in a flash of light. "You actually managed to hurt me at that low of a level, even if it's only because of the darkness."

"Shut it!" I yelled, sheathing my sword and making the hand seals for the Chidori. The skill executed perfectly. I dashed at him, electricity crackling like a thousand birds. Unfortunately, I forgot about the technique's inherent weakness again; Charon sidestepped away from my attack, hitting me in the back of the neck with the blunt handle of one of his lances. I was thrown into the air, but recovered and charged at him again. This time, I stopped one of his lances by grabbing it, then destroyed the other one (which had inevitably counterattacked me) with the Chidori.

"You're far better than I expected... even so," Charon sneered, jumping back, "you just aren't good enough to beat me."

Another light lance appeared in his offhand.

"You see, light is eternal. That being said, I have an endless supply of weaponry, so you just wasted what I believe was one of your best attacks!" Charon sneered.

"There's no way I'm losing to you, too!" I snarled, once again brandishing my sword.

"This is pointless. You pathetic little worm, I'll show you what real power is!" Chaon said. He floated up into the sky, which turned so bright I could swear there was a star just above us. Small sparks of light began to rain down. I didn't know what they were, but when one touched me, it burned.

"What is this?" I snarled at him.

"Light," he replied calmly, floating back down. "You see, these fragments of light wound anyone with a tainted soul; one far deeper in the darkness than one in the light. Simply put, you can't win... not now, not ever."

"We'll see about that!" I shouted at him, attempting a rush. I was burned by the fragments of light before I could get anywhere. After a few moments, the light began raining down faster, causing me to collapse. I fell over, writhing in agony, even though I had pulled back from my Cursed Seal.

"Thus, the one destined to defeat me falls in disgrace," Charon said. "When next we meet, you will have to improve greatly to stand a chance."

"And how do I do that?" I managed through screams.

"Obtain the Sword of Light, Illumina. With it, your soul will be cleansed, and this attack won't work on you," he said.

"Offering false hope to juvenile heroes, Charon?" I heard a familiar voice mutter. "You've fallen a long way."

"You must be none other than..." I heard before I passed out. 


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Awakening

"Argh!" I shouted, awakening.

"What's up? Well, besides your annoying tendency to run off," Aegle grumbled.

I woke up in the same bed from before. I felt better, though, and my cursed seal had receded.

"Well, sorry. I didn't realize I reported to you," I said back. "Even so, at least now I know one step to finishing off Charon... and maybe a weapon that can defeat Ike."

"What's that?" she asked as I got up from the bed.

"Illumina. The Sword of Light... or so says Charon," I told her.

"The Sword of Light? How are we supposed to get that?" Aegle asked.

"Like I know. Ansem's computer might, though."

"So let's go check it out. The castle's still empty except for that ronin and his girlfriend. Even Squall left," Aegle informed me.

"Perfect! Let's just hope the data isn't corrupt," I muttered, walking out of the stone archway. We sneaked through the castle, despite our echoing steps informing us it was devoid of life. We made it to the basement quickly, then sat down in front of Ansem's computer. It was just showing a basic desktop.

"Let's see... 'Search Function.' Here we go," I said, clicking on the desktop icon. It brought up a search box.

"Illumina, wasn't it?" Aegle asked, hovering over my shoulder.

"Yeah. Illumina," I typed in. I punched the search key.

'The data you have requested is restricted.'

"What? How could the data be resticted? That must be one powerful sword," Aegle commented.

"Ha ha! Luckily, I got Roy to show me a few hacking skills before he disappeared," I said.

"Hacking? Isn't that illegal?" she asked.

"I prefer to call it taking the backdoor," I said, hacking the computer so it would display what I wanted. "There we go! Illumina... the Sword of Light. It was sealed away in... the Realm of Darkness?"

"Why was it sealed away in the first place, let alone the Realm of Darkness?" Aegle asked, somewhat irritated.

"I can't find out the rest. I'm not a very good hacker, and it's been a long time since I hacked anything. The rest of the data is under a 'Class-S Restriction,'" I said.

"That's unfortunate. Even so, we know it's in the Realm of Darkness... we don't know where, or why it was sealed," Aegle said.

"Don't even think about going to the Realm of Darkness," a woman said behind my back. I turned around to see a brown-haired, green-eyed woman looking at me. She was wearing a black dress. Her hair was really long... down to her thighs, I presumed.

"And why not? It's no different than any other world," I said.

"It'll corrupt you. And from what I sense in you, Jake, you need to be afraid of corruption," she said.

"Wait! How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I knew Roy," the woman said, turning around and walking off.

"Huh. Well, it's not like we have to listen to her," Aegle muttered. "Well, then, we'd better find Sora or Riku."

"Why?" I asked.

"They're the two who spent the most time in the Realm of Darkness, duh! If we find them, maybe they can show us a way into the Realm of Darkness."

"I doubt it. What if they disappeared along with most everybody else?" I asked, skeptical on this whole plan.

"Their hearts are too strong for that," she said. "We'll find them! We'll get Illumina and defeat Charon!"

"Right! Let's go!" I shouted, hitting my communicator at the same time Aegle hit hers. 


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Echoes in the Heart 

"Well, we better get to the Destiny Islands if we're going to pester Sora for the way into the Realm of Darkness," Aegle muttered, slowly sitting down in her seat.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go," I said, swiftly plopping down in the captain's seat. The chair made a loud hissing noise as air rapidly escaped from it. I used the map to look for the Destiny Islands. After a few space battles, some intense situations, and one of the engines blowing out, we made it. After beaming down, we found ourselves on the unpopulated island at dawn.

"Perfect timing. They'll just be getting up! Let's go!" Aegle eagerly shouted.

"Wait. First, we need a way over there," I said, pointing to the island with homes on it. "There's no way to cross that sea. We can't swim that far."

"You're such a drag sometimes, you know that?" Aegle said, irritated.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, walking off to chop down palm trees. I cut down about half a dozen, then went off to find some string to bind them together. I couldn't find any anywhere. Eventually I meandered into the 'secret place,' despite the fact that I barely made it through the crawlspace leading to it. I found a long string in there.

Perfect! I thought. I looked around, squinting at all the rock scribbles. They weren't half bad. I looked at the doorway to the world's heart. They Keyhole was exposed.

"Huh. Thought Keyholes only appeared when a Keyblade is near," I said aloud. I then squeezed back through the crawlspace with my prize. When I got back out, Aegle was sitting on top of a big pile of leaves, looking at the sunrise from the pier.

"What's up?" I asked her as I approached.

"Well, I found a good sail. Problem is, I need something to bind it together," Aegle said, getting off the leaves.

"Don't tell me: you want to sew these leaves together and use them as the sail?" I asked.

"Yeah. I know it isn't the best idea, but it's not like you have one!" she snapped.

"Yeah, yeah. Here you go," I said, tossing the string at her. "Make sure there's some leftover. We need it to bind the logs together."

"Sure," Aegle said. She then set to work sewing together a sail while I looked for suitable sticks for the mast. I couldn't find any, so I instead cut down some of the pier and used those sticks instead. When I got back, Aegle was about half done with the sail. I cut a little bit of string off the end and used it to bind the mast together. I then bored a small hole in one of the logs, subsequently placing the mast into it. Aegle had finished the sail; we bound the logs together and set up the sail.

"Well, then, let's go!" I shouted, pushing the raft into the sea. We jumped onto it as soon as possible and fortunately, we had a tailwind. It only took about half an hour to cross the calm sea, and we arrived around midday; ironically, it had taken quite a while to build that makeshift raft. We chatted on our way over there... since nobody was around, we had to break the eerie silence of sailing. We silently landed on the far beach, then stepped off our raft.

"That took longer than I expected," I muttered. We then set to searching the empty town. I used my best ninja skills, wary of unseen dangers. Despite that, I felt like kicking down the first door I came to. I did so, hearing the noisy bang echo through the empty town.

"What the hell are you doing?" Aegle yelled at me.

"Ah, nothing. I couldn't help myself. Kicking down doors is so cool..." I muttered to myself. "It's not like it matters. The town's empty, just like every other city we've been to."

"I wonder why that is?" Aegle asked.

"Well, that Ike said something about it, I think," I said. "He said something about a Keyblade War... maybe that has something to do with all the ghost towns."

"Maybe. Well, let's keep searching," Aegle said. We kept sneaking around the town, though I made it a point of honor to kick down every door we came across. Each house was just as empty as the last... I didn't know what to make of it. We did find a house with the lights on eventually. I kicked down that door too, but there was a man in a yellow vest sitting at a desk. He had his feet up on it, and was wearing blue jeans along with sneakers. He had silver hair and azure eyes...

"And you are?" he asked, not moving from his seat.

"Jake Hartmut," I replied.

"And I'm Aegle," Aegle said indignantly.

"Well, sorry. I'm not open for business. The toilet's in the back, if that's what you're looking for," he said, sitting up. Now that I had a better look at him...

"You're Riku, are you not?" I asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked back.

"What sort of shady business are you running?" I asked.

"Nothing… just a Nobody hunting business. Sure, there's no Heartless around anymore, but Nobodies pester people all the same," he told me. "So I charge a small fee to exterminate them. I had hoped my business would be doing better by now, but for some reason nobody needs… well, Nobodies exterminated."

"Uh… are you aware that this town's empty?" Aegle asked, beginning to walk around the somewhat dusty shop.

"Empty? So that's what he was talking about…" Riku muttered.

"Who?" I asked.

"Oh, nobody. So the town's deserted, you say?" he answered, trying to change the subject. I would not stand for this.

"Who told you something about it?" I asked again.

"… Roy. Roy Hartmut," he said after much hesitation.

"My brother? He's been here?" I asked, very eager to know…

"Yeah, I suppose so. It was only a few hours ago, but knowing Roy, he's long gone," Riku said. "It had been three years since I last saw him, anyway."

"So we just missed him," I sighed.

"Yep. Sorry," Riku muttered. "Well, from your dawdling, I suppose you don't need to use the toilet. So what do you want?"

"Well, we're looking for the Sword of Light. I was led to believe it's in the Realm of Darkness," I said.

"The Realm of Darkness? That's no playplace," Riku told us. "It's full of the strongest Heartless… and there's no way into it, unless you can brave the World that Never Was."

"The World that Never Was? Man…" Aegle muttered.

"To make things worse, Maleficent has set up her base there now," Riku said. "She's… not exactly friendly."

"Yeah, yeah. I need that sword to defeat Charon and Ike, and after that, I can focus solely on finding Roy," I said to myself.

"Hold on! You can't go to the World that Never Was! I haven't fought you," Riku said, "but I can pretty much tell… you're not strong enough. So forget about this 'Sword of Light.' It's an impossible dream for someone like you."

"Someone… like me?" I asked.

"Forget about it," he said. "You're not strong enough. Now leave!"

"Or what?" I asked, resting my hands on my sword hilt.

"Jake! Leave it," Aegle said, bringing me to my senses. "We'll decide if we're strong enough for the World that Never Was, not you. So drop it."

Aegle went out of Riku's shop. I followed her, pressing my communicator to beam up. I thought I heard someone say something, though…

"Everything's going smoothly…"


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: You Have No Place in this Duel

As Aegle and I walked to our ship, we discussed Riku's comments. We decided to go fight Heartless in Hollow Bastion until we felt we were strong enough. Though neither of us wanted to admit it... Riku was right...

"So... we'll land in Merlin's House, fight our way to the Dark Depths, then force our way back to Merlin's house. That should be enough... right?" Aegle asked.

"Dunno... after all, there's no telling how strong or different the Heartless in the Realm of Darkness are," I commented. "We could be wasting our time."

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "We'll be stronger."

We soon landed in Merlin's house and did just that. As we were forcing our way back, though, something odd happened...

Time stopped on my way back up to the Crystal Fissure.

"What's going on?" I asked. Nothing answered me but my empty echo through the crystal crags.

I turned around to see a black-cloaked person standing there.

"You... you're behind this," I muttered.

"Did it take you a long time to figure that out?" she asked (I could tell by the pitch of her voice). "You're smart or something."

"Oh, shut it," I muttered. "Your sarcasm isn't helping. Tell me... why did you stop everyone but me?"

"Oh, I have my reasons," she said. "You see... you, Jake..."

"Leave him out of this," a familiar voice called out.

A dark corridor opened up behind me, and out walked the silver-cloaked Ike.

"This doesn't concern him, Amy. Leave him alone," Ike said.

"Oh? Afraid I'm going to attack his heart?" she asked.

"What the hell's going on?" I shouted. "This is me we're talking about, so don't ignore me. And who the hell are YOU?!"

I pointed at the cloaked woman.

"She's... my rival," Ike said. "Stand aside. We have something to settle."

I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach... as if he would kill me if I didn't move. I stepped aside.

"Let's go soft this time," Ike said to her. "After all, we wouldn't want to make a mess of things in front of those two, would we?"

"Sure... why not?" Amy replied, blasting me with energy. The wave didn't hit me... it just erected a barrier.

I pounded on the barrier and even tried to slice it apart. Nothing worked...

"Now... let's begin," Ike said. He slowly unsheathed his yellow sword, then disappeared along with Amy. I saw various outbursts of force across the Maw, but the two didn't reappear until about a minute later. They were clashing blades... Ike using his yellow sword, and Amy wielding a huge nodachi.

The two jumped back, brandishing their swords.

"I see... you've mastered flash steps now, too?" Ike said, breathing a little heavily. "Why don't you try making your own abilities instead of mimicking mine? Things would be a lot more interesting that way."

"Please," Amy retorted. "You've got nothing on me, especially in a dark place such as this."

I felt unbearable killing intent from both of them.

Ike summoned a crimson Spiraling Sphere in his hand. He tossed it at her, then vanished. Amy knocked aside the Spiraling Sphere, but was unable to dodge Ike's secondary attack; he stabbed her in the back, then disappeared again.

Amy disappeared.

"Flash steps? What is that?" I asked.

After more bursts of force, the two appeared again. They were breathing even more heavily than before.

"So... do you feel like ending it yet? I'm just about at my limit for this level..." Ike panted.

"Sure... why... not?" she replied. The two brandished their swords, then charged at each other. Moments later, blood flowed from Amy, and she slumped over.

"Still... can't defeat you," she muttered. "I'll get... better..."

"Just fade away," Ike said. "Like you were supposed to, so long ago."

"You know it won't be that easy," she said, standing up, then faded away. The barrier shattered, but time didn't resume just yet...

Ike's worn out. Now's my chance!

"You. Stand down," I said, pointing my sword at Ike. "Tell me... who are you?"

"Someone who loves you," he said, still breathing heavily. He didn't remove his hood.

"Take the hood off," I said. "A cryptic comment won't do it."

"You're not ready yet... especially after..." he muttered, then began walking off. I charged at him, yelling at the top of my lungs, but he jumped over me.

"Again, so soon?" he asked. "You're taking advantage of my fatigue."

"And?" I asked.

"I don't want to fight you... not now... but if that's what you want," he said, steadying his feet, "I'll... do it."

We brandished our swords and stared at each other. 


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Softly with Grace 

While I charged at Ike, he jumped backwards, backflipping in the air. I continued rushing at him. Ike swung his sword a few times, and energy waves rippled out of it. I jumped over all of them while still dashing forward, and clashed with Ike moments later. I still couldn't see his face, but his eyes seemed to be glowing yellow. He threw me aside, and I skidded before stopping.

"You're stronger than before... it would seem I've underestimated you," Ike called out. "Even so, you're still not good enough to beat me, both in terms of strength and skill."

"You really believe that?" I asked, letting my Cursed Seal flow more freely. Even as I did so, white lightning began flowing around Ike. I dashed at him, performing a wide swing. Ike ducked and made a swipe at my feet, but I jumped over him and tried to elbow him in the back. He had raised his sword to block my move, and jumped back. He turned around to face me.

"Well, I guess I'll have to really get serious. It's been quite a while since I actually tried in a battle," Ike said. I heard a tone of cold resolve in his voice. I sheathed my sword and made the hand seals for Chidori. Moments later, the sound of a thousand chirping birds surrounded me.

"Then I'll get serious too!" I yelled, charging at him with the Chidori. When it seemed I would finally land a blow, Ike sidestepped, then knocked me aside with his sword. I skidded into a wall, and my Chidori was squandered on the crystal. Even so, I got to my feet, running toward Ike. When I got near him, though, time seemed to stop, even for me...

I was surrounded by green, glowing circles with Japanese characters in them, and in the center stood Ike in the middle of a Yin Yang symbol. He had his eyes closed (I could tell because they weren't glowing)... or did he?

"Eight Trigrams, Sixteen Palms!"

Time resumed, and Ike was smashing my arms with his first two fingers of both hands.

"Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms!"

The pain in my arms and fingers was insufferable...

"Sixteen palms!"

I was thrown backwards again and slammed into some crystal, spitting up a little blood. I staggered to my feet... even though I had released my Cursed Seal, it wasn't enough...

"Now you can't use that technique anymore... at least for now. That move's really annoying, anyway..." Ike muttered, massaging his wrist.

"Yeah... koff... right! I knew you were strong... koff... but I didn't expect a skill like that! Even so..." I managed, "without Byakugan, that fighting style is useless!"

I made the hand seals for the Chidori again, closed my eyes, placing my left hand on my right wrist.

Let this work! Come on!

But no sound surrounded me...

"So what? I've got other moves!" I shouted, making the hand seals for Katon: Gokayakku no Jutsu. I breathed a fireball at him, but once again, he seemed unfazed by it.

"You... you wimp. Don't you see yet?" he asked. "Such simple techniques can't beat someone who's faced half a decade of carnage. You've improved. but you've still got a long way to go."

"How do you figure that?" I asked indigniantly.

"Because now, I'm going to end this scrap with three moves," Ike replied.

"Oh, yeah? Let's see you try!" I shouted.

"So be it..." he muttered.

A sphere of crimson energy formed in his hand.

"Why... I know that technique. But why is yours red?" I asked him, pulling out my sword. Even though I can't use my energy, I thought, I've still got my sword!

"My soul is stained with the blood of innocents..." he muttered.

"Your soul is... stained?" I asked.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand..." he said. "Some wounds will never heal."

Ike dashed at me with his Crimson Rasengan. I jumped back and stood on the crystal, but Ike came charging forward up at me. I had just about cleared the attack by jumping up, but Ike chased me into the air. Just when it seemed Ike didn't have enough momentum to get me, I began falling...

"Damn it all!" I shouted as I fell toward him. I held out my sword, hoping my greater range would impale him before Ike could get me with his Crimson Rasengan. But even that sort of defense wasn't enough... Ike disappeared and slammed me in the back with his Crimson Rasengan. I was sure it wasn't fatal, but I was thrown down onto the hard crystal ground... and I thought I heard something snap...

I don't think I'll be able to stand after that... I thought to myself. I tried to get on my hands to get on my feet, but the pain was searing... so was trying to get on my knees first...

"So, that's your limit. Not bad, considering how short of a time you've been actually fighting. You've improved," Ike taunted me.

"Shut... koff... shut up..." I managed through spitting up blood.

"Well, I suppose now is the part where you'd expect me to turn around, cloak flapping in the wind, and wander off. Then time would resume, leaving you broken, battered, and bloody, here to be found, huh?" Ike asked.

"Wh... koff... what?"

"Well, it won't be that simple. You're not ready to face your inner darkness... not yet," Ike said cryptically. "So I'll help seal away your darkness... for now, anyway." Ike walked over to the pool of blood I had coughed up. He then tightly gripped his left hand into a fist. It started bleeding, and Ike ran his left thumb, then his other fingers across the cut. Ike then dipped his bloody fingers into my blood, then stood back up.

"I've never tried this one before... then again, I need my blood and the other person's blood to actually use it," Ike said. "Here goes!"

"Stop being so reckless!" I managed to shout.

Ike seemed to hesitate.

"I'm not afraid," he muttered. Ike then slammed his palm onto the ground, and five beams of white light shone out of the ground. They warped over me, then hit my arm... right on the Cursed Seal, which I felt be restrained...

"That's my Judgment Seal. You won't be able to use that Cursed Seal of yours while it's there, and only the deepest darkness will be able to break it," Ike told me. "Well, so long."

Ike turned around, causing his cloak to flap from the sudden movement. He then wandered off, and as soon as he was out of sight, time resumed. I passed out almost instantly from the almost instant beating I got from time restarting...


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: A Past and A Memory

"Ow..." I muttered, finally waking up. Everything still hurt...

"That's amazing. You're already awake," I heard a soft voice say. I turned my head to see Aerith leaning over me.

"Whadda ya mean, already?" I rasped out.

"Try not to talk. It's amazing you're awake," she replied. "Stay here. I'll get a wet cloth. You're still running a fever." Aerith went off into a hallway. I finally had a chance to look around. I was in one of the rooms in the castle in the Radiant Garden... and was lying down in a bed, apparently in almost a full body wrap.

"Damn. That guy busted me up good," I muttered to myself.

"You could say that," Aerith said, walking back in. She put the warm towel on my head. I stared straight up at the roof.

"Why..." I began.

"What?" she asked, sitting down in a chair next to me.

"Why can't I beat him?" I asked, frustrated.

"Who are you talking about?" Aerith asked. I sighed.

"I couldn't make you listen to all my problems. That's not fair," I said.

"I'll listen. Sometimes we all just need to let it out, and I can tell you need to do that right now," she replied.

"It's... a lot to let out," I said.

"We've got time," Aerith said. "Go ahead."

"Well, it's like this: there's this silver-cloaked guy, Ike. I don't know why, but he drives me crazy..." I said angrily.

"Why?" Aerith asked.

"It's just... he acts like he's so much better than I am. The worst part is it's true..." I muttered. "He's beat me twice, and made it look easy both times. Even after training and using something I shouldn't, he still kicked my ass."

"Maybe you shouldn't worry about him. From what he did to you," Aerith said, no doubt referring to my grievous wounds, "he's too strong for you... way too strong. So just leave it."

"I... can't do that," I said with resolve.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Not only does he have the answers I'm looking for, but he's mopped the floor with me - twice. And there's something odd about him..." I trailed off.

"What?" Aerith asked.

"It's like... I know him," I said. "I've seen him before, and I know his presence. But he's far off, like a fading memory. But he couldn't be who I think he is. The one I'm thinking of... was kind, gentle, and weak... also a slacker. But that guy... he's aggressive and strong. He also said something about his soul... he said it's 'tainted by the blood of innocents.' I wonder what that could mean."

"Hm..." Aerith hesitated. "Well, is that all you have to say?"

"You're hiding something..." I nagged.

"Well, your injuries. I haven't told you what's broken yet," Aerith said. "All of your fingers are broken, you have three broken ribs, and one of your legs is broken. You also had a concussion. You won't be going anywhere for a month or two. Not even a master White Mage can heal broken bones."

I sighed.

"I won't give it up. I'll beat him... even through broken bones. Him and that Charon bastard."

"You're really pathetic, you know that?" a familiar voice chastised as I turned to see who it was.

"Heh... what do you know about being beaten, Aegle? You just sat there frozen," I muttered. Aerith went out.

"I know you're too battered to even move right now," she said. "You really need to stop picking fights with guys stronger than you. We just got here, so it's understandable if you can't beat everyone."

"But I..." I began.

"If you're going to get over a dozen broken bones, you shoudn't fight someone," Aegle said gently. "I hate to see you like this."

"I won't give up yet..." I muttered, staggering to my feet. My left leg seared with pain, but I stuck through it, limping over to the doorway. My coat was hanging on a hook near there, and my sword was leaned against the wall. I managed to get my coat on, then put my sword over my back. I also found my boots and stepped into them. The pain was almost unbearable, but something else was even more unbearable...

I won't lose to him again! 


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Maiden in the Dark

"Jake! Get back in bed NOW!!!" Aegle shouted, running over to stop me. I simply shoved her aside.

"I... WON'T." I said forcefully.

"Jake..." Aegle almost cried.

"I have to get strong enough to beat them. I have to get Illumina. I have to... fufill my destiny," I said. I kept limping forward, ignoring Aegle's cries. I kept staggering down the halls, becoming slightly lost. I had found the door, still staggering, when someone came running up from behind me.

"You! Get back in bed!" I heard someone say. I turned around to see Squall standing there, blade drawn. "I'll use force if I have to!"

"I won't let someone else decide what I'll do. You don't have the right to tell me what to do," I said. "Get in my way, and you might regret it."

"You... you sound like Riku used to," he said, then shook his head. "But that's just a memory!"

He came running at me. I did my best to pull out my sword, but the pain in my fingers wouldn't allow it. I knew I couln't use hand seals, either. But just when I thought I was going to be dragged back into a bed, darkness came pouring in from a window. The darkness faded, leaving the black-cloaked woman Ike had dueled with standing there.

"His path is his own. You cannot tell him where to go, Squall," she said, placing particular disgust in his name.

"You... you're Roy's eternal nemesis. Amy Riesa..." Squall said, stepping back in fear. "No! There's no way I'll let you take this boy! I'll defeat you right here!"

Amy only laughed, taking off her hood.

"You... beat me? That's impossible. Even a holy demon has trouble with it," Amy said cruelly. "You don't have a chance."

"We'll see about that!" Squall shouted, charging at her with his gunblade. He nearly made the stroke when Amy waved her hand, and a barrier of darkness shielded her. Squall tried many moves, but they were all blocked by Amy, and she seemed to do it effortlessly.

"It's futile. Not a single stroke can pass through this, no matter how much effort you put into it. Now..." she said, blasting Squall with a ball of dark energy from her palm, "go tell your friends to stay out of my way. Be thankful I'm showing you mercy. Now GO!"

Squall shuffled to his feet, then ran off.

"And now for you..." Amy said, turning aroud. Now that I got a look at her face, I recognized her. She went to school with Roy... I could tell. I'd seen her on the High School orientation field trip.

I tried to pull out my sword, but my fingers still wouldn't allow it. I forced it and immediately regretted it, dropping my drawn sword in front of me. Amy laughed.

"What's so funny?!" I asked angrily.

"Oh, nothing. Your resolve just reminds me of someone," she replied.

"Roy?" I asked.

"Yes... that hero. He's rather persistent, wouldn't you say?" she asked me.

"What are you talking about? I've only seen two people that really caught my eye since I got here... Ike and Charon," I replied.

"Ike...? Oh, I see..." Amy said. She laughed. "What an amusing ruse."

"It's not a ruse! He cut off my Cursed Seal. I'm... powerless," I muttered.

"Well, I have two options for you. I will grant you one of two requests: I can release Ike's Judgment Seal, or I can heal all of your broken bones," Amy offered. "Which will it be?"

"I don't think I should trust you," I said. "You're Roy's nemesis, or so Squall said. Why should I trust you?"

"I am not your enemy," she said. "Roy may challenge me, but I have no reason to harm you. As a matter of fact, Roy is a far different person from who you remember. So, will you accept my help?"

"Why should I?" I asked.

"It will take approximately two months for your bones to heal. That Judgment Seal will never come undone, save with my power. So, will you accept?" Amy asked again, somewhat forceful this time.

"I... suppose so. Please," I begged, "heal my bones."

"Very well," she said. Everything went dark. When the light came back, Amy was gone. I leaned down to grab my sword, feeling no pain from my ribs. I grasped the blade and sheathed it without pain.

"So she did help me. Well, I don't have my Cursed Seal, but it's enough for now," I muttered. "Now, I have to go to the World that Never Was to get Illumina!"

I hit my communicator and teleported up to my Gummi Ship... 


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Deep Dive 

"I'll just go to the World That Never Was. Then I'll get Illumina..." I muttered, sitting down in the captain's seat. "I'll get Illumina and crush them!"

I punched in the coordinates for the World That Never Was, seeing as they were programmed into the computer. I had to fight through a space battle, but it was cake, considering my ship's defenses. I landed in the World that Never Was in the Alley to Between.

I knew what this place was like, but I still felt uneasy. There was some strange force at work here... neither light nor darkness. I suppose it was a feeling I'd never felt before...

A feeling of emptiness.

A feeling of sorrow and despair. It was so thick, even my resolve was shaken. I reaffirmed myself in what I was doing, making sure I knew what I was doing. I doubted myself at first.

Why am I doing this? There's nothing wrong with someone being stronger than me. But I... I have to get the answers. I have to know! Who is Ike under that hood?

I set out on the way. All the way to the Memory's Skyscraper, I fought weak but numerous Heartless. When I got there, I felt another odd force at work. It felt like my Cursed Seal was trying to unleash, even though Ike had sealed it off. I looked at my shoulder, but realized it was bandaged. I tore the bandages off to see Ike's Judgment Seal.

A white pentagram, edged by a circle, sat on top of my Cursed Seal. The Seal itself was inactive, but I could feel the Cursed Seal trying to run rampant.

I'll have to find a way around that damned Judgment Seal.

I smashed down the doors to the Memory's Skyscraper. I stepped in through the broken glass. Oddly, the base floor was no different from a normal hotel. The reception counter was unattended, and the lights cast a dim glow across the entire floor. There was no elevator, but a set of stairs spiraled up. I took them, passing even more dimly lit stories, each with a long hallway. I made it to the top after a few minutes.

There wasn't much up there, but I could see the Castle that Never Was. It was different... black and dark. The Heartless symbol replaced the Nobody symbol, and the fake Kingdom Hearts was completely decayed.

I stared at it for a few minutes, then went back down the stairs. I went to the Edge of Despair and took the shimmering bridge up to the Castle. There were even more Heartless here, but they were all so weak. They were mostly Defenders and Lance Knights, which were easy to beat as long as I got around them. I kept forcing my way through the now-shadowy castle. I kept forcing my way through the castle single-handedly. I made it to the Proof of Existence when I finally found someone.

"So, some punk's finally come, huh? Never thought the next person I'd see would be a pipsqueak," he said.

"Pete. So stupid, and still weak," I thought aloud.

"Who're you callin' stupid?" Pete asked incredulously.

"You. You're a bumbling oaf who couldn't even hold his own against Sora. You're pathetic," I said coldly.

"We'll see about dat!" he shouted, running towards me from the top. I pulled out my sword to stop him, and knocked him back to the balcony leading up to Naught's Approach. I whacked him again into Ruin and Creation's Passage, illuminating the path.

"Let's see ya git me now!" Pete shouted, raising his protective barrier. "Now I'm invincible!"

"… so? I can just knock you off the passages," I pointed out.

"Uh…" Pete muttered as I rushed at him. He didn't have time to react, and all I heard from him as he fell into the abyss was a loud, prolonged "Dang you!!!"

"How pathetic…" I muttered, sheathing my sword. "Did Maleficent ever really think her flat-footed lackey could beat someone?"

I continued along Ruin and Creation's Passage until I reached the Altar of Naught…


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Followers of Darkness

I continued climbing the Altar of Naught. The path wasn't too steep, and I felt some otherworldly power flowing through me. It must have been the innate darkness of this world, but maybe it was my inner darkness…

Was this the right path?

I reached the top, where Maleficent stood with her back turned to me. I clomped my boots up the stairs, eventually coming to a stop with a loud stomp. My sword was still drawn, and seemed to be emitting some sort of dark energy.

"Strange. I never expected such a pathetic brat to be able to reach here," Maleficent said, her back still turned to me. "That coward is as useless as ever."

"First off, you could say I'm no ordinary brat," I replied. "Second, you should just be rid of Pete. He's a weak, pathetic excuse for an opponent. Nobody should have a difficult time with him."

"You speak out of line," Maleficent said, turning around. "You may possess some strength and skill, but you're still no match for me, the Mistress of All Evil!"

Green flames erupted around Maleficent.

"Sad…" I muttered.

"What's that, you impudent whelp?" she asked.

"We're more alike than you know. We're both followers of darkness…" I said. "We trust the darkness to show us the path to our own futures, even though we still have some bit of light left in us."

"Hmph. You think you know the darkness?" Maleficent taunted.

"Yeah. I do. Now, let's dance," I said, getting into a fighting stance.

I lowered my blade and walked through the black and green flame flares Maleficent ignited around me. I sneered at her… I couldn't explain it, but it seemed like that Cursed Seal, despite being sealed, was giving me some sort of resistance to her magic. I stood right in her face, looking at her with a sinister smile. Maleficent seemed to be panicking.

"So, is that all you've got? I'm disappointed…" I sneered. "I expected better from the 'Mistress of All Evil.'"

My blade was at her throat.

"Tell me the way into the Realm of Darkness… the real Realm of Darkness, where the legendary blade Illumina lies," I forced. "If you don't, I'll kill you."

"Hah. You really think it's that easy?" Maleficent taunted me. I saw a hint of dark flames brewing in her eyes… "You're not the only one with powers granted by the darkness."

I staggered back as black and green flames enveloped Maleficent. She turned into her monstrous dragon form, causing the Altar to collapse. We fell down into the Hall of Empty Melodies. The dragon roared at me, spewing forth the rotting scent of corpses and black and green flames.

"Still not afraid," I said coldly. I got into the stance again, charging at Maleficent. She snapped her jaws at me, but I wasn't afraid. I just kept walking forward, and sheared one of her teeth in half next time she snapped at me. Maleficent howled in pain, turning to swipe me with her tail. I jumped on, and then ran up her back, driving my blade into her ebon flesh. Maleficent, again, roared in pain.

"I'm not done yet!" I shouted, planting my sword firmly in her back as Maleficent tried to thrash me off. After she'd stopped from exhaustion (that was a massive gash in her back), I stabbed her over and over again. I eventually went for the deathblow, cleaving off Maleficent's head with one deft stroke.

Her body burned to cinders.

"Now how am I supposed to get into the Realm of Darkness?" I thought aloud.

"You good for nothin' pipsqueak! You…" I heard someone say. I turned around to see Pete pointing at me.

"I what…?" I asked with that sinister look.

"Yer not human, are ya…" he muttered. I walked over to him and picked him up by the collar.

"Unless you want to end up like that…" I stressed, using my sword to point at the black robes lying on the ground, "I suggest you tell me how to get to the Realm of Darkness."

"Jes… jes dive off the Brink 'a Despair…" Pete quivered, literally shaking in his boots.

"Fine. Now get out of my sight!" I shouted, throwing him aside. I walked out the Hall, hearing Pete mutter something about how I was worse than Maleficent. I made it to the Brink of Despair, then jumped off, closing my eyes as the bright light surrounded me… 


	16. 14: The Sacred Sword

**Chapter Fourteen: The Sacred Sword**

I felt myself fall onto the ground after the light faded. I opened my eyes to see a barren wasteland, barely visible from the white sun. The entire place was littered with countless craters, each several feet deep. In the distance, a structure was visible, even though I couldn't quite make out what it was yet.

"The Heartless, I can feel them. They're everywhere," I muttered to myself, setting off toward the structure. As I reached it, I realized what it was: the castle, whose basement had Illumina. I made sure to avoid falling into any of the deep craters that dotted the landscape. After a short while, I reached the castle steps, which started as two opposing stairways, merged into a platform, and went up to the front doors.

I climbed the stairway, where I stopped on the platform. I thought I'd heard a voice... some sort of ethereal voice.

_Am I not alone?_

I ascended the final stairway, then slinked in through the massive, but open doorway. I heard that voice again...

_Turn back..._

"What? Who's saying that?" I asked.

_This... wrong... dangerous... sword..._

"I must be hearing things, " I denounced the voice. I looked around the inside of the eerie castle. It was creepy and dark, with silver-etched obelisks adorning the walls. The silver moon cast a faint glow across everything in the castle. I was standing in the grand hall, with a stairway leading up to a split stairway, similar to Beast's Castle. I stepped forward to the center of the Grand Hall where the sunlight (moonlight?) shone down on an emblem.

_Turn back from this path._

I looked around, searching for the owner of the now clear voice.

_This is the wrong path, the one you've chosen._

"Hah. So, who are you, disembodied voice?" I asked jokingly.

_Senka. A villain, you might say, from the past. I am this castle's former owner._

"So? Why should I care?" I asked.

_The weapon you seek... Illumina... is a cursed sword._

"Yeah, right," I muttered, getting down on my hands and knees to search for a way into the basement.

_It is a dangerous sword, one that cannot be used by those with impure hearts. It will corrupt you even further, mysterious man. I sealed it so that its powers would not cause any chaos._

"Chaos... that's not why I need it. I need it to take down Ike and Charon," I muttered.

_The end does not justify the means._

"Shut up," I muttered, finding a way in by smashing the ground with my sword. It crumbled, luckily, and led down into a narrow corridor. I jumped down and went up to a door at the end, shoving it open. Inside was a dais that was led up to by stairs, with a sword sitting in the center. Light shone on some parts of the dais, illuminating it.

The sword itself was magnificent... it was kind of like Ike's sword, but there were runes engraved into its metal blade, and the handguard was golden.

"Illumina... I finally found it," I said, stepping up to the top of the dais. I reached out to take the sword, but as soon as I touched the handle... I was pushed back somehow.

I stepped back in confusion.

_What just happened?_

I tried again with the same results.

"Damn it! Why isn't this working!? Is there something missing?" I shouted.

"You seem to be in a bad mood," a familiar voice said from the distance. Ike walked into the chamber, still clad in a silver hooded cloak. "So, you were going after Illumina. That's pretty stupid, you know..."

"Yeah, it'll corrupt me. So what?" I asked. "As long as it gives me the power to defeat you, I don't give a damn!"

"Don't be so stupid," Ike muttered.

"I'll kill you to get it," I said with a grave tone in my voice.

Ike laughed.

"You really think you're a match for me? Come on then, show me," he said, getting into an odd stance. "Let's play. A little fun now and then does make life more interesting, don't you think?"

"Sh... shut up!" I shouted, charging at Ike...


	17. 15: The Will to Kill

**Chapter Fifteen: The Will to Kill**

"Try this!" I shouted, making an upward diagonal slash. Ike didn't even try to avoid it; instead, he caught it with his free hand. Blood ran down my sword as I stood there, frozen in shock.

"I told you before," Ike muttered, "a sword is a tool for killing. Only one type of sword exists for another purpose; the sakaboto, a reverse-edged katana."

"Your point is?!" I growled at him.

"You shouldn't wield mortal weapons if you don't intend to inflict a mortal wound," Ike muttered, tightening his grip on my sword. "So I think I'll take that privelege away from you."

His grip shattered my blade.

I dropped the useless, broken sword, then made the hand seals for Chidori before Ike stopped me.

"Don't be so hasty," he muttered, pulling out a sheathed katana from under his cloak. "Take this," he said, tossing at me.

"What is it? A... sakaboto?" I asked, unsheathing the blade. It was indeed a sakaboto.

"It's a memento from a dear friend of mine," Ike said. It was the first time I'd sensed a hint of sentimentality in his voice. "So don't you dare break it, or I **WILL** kill you."

I sensed a grave tone in his voice. _Ike must be putting a lot on the line here_, I thought to myself.

"You think I won't go as hard without a real blade?" I asked, channeling the Chidori energy into my new sakaboto. It pulsated and hummed with electrical energy. I charged at Ike again, but he just blocked my attack. My Chidori energy also faded on his block.

"My blade's made of Orichalon. It absorbs all types of energy," he said, "so you'll have to do better than that. My move."

Ike pulled back, then got into an odd stance. He made two cuts at me, one vertical, the next horizontal. I barely managed to block the two moves, and was left stumbling.

"I'm not done yet."

Ike made a stabbing move at my stomach. Just before it would have pierced my gut, he stopped.

"See, I'm better at martial combat. This battle is no fun for me unless you plan on using something other than physical attacks," Ike said, stylishly sheathing his sword.

"Yeah... I've got skills other than swords," I said, making some hand seals.

_Focus your energy... channel your body and spirit... now!!!_

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The area around us was turned into a festering swamp (except Illumina's Pedestal). Ike struggled in the swampland; but I seemed to have no trouble walking in it.

"It's like quicksand," I explained. "You're as good as dead."

"Is that what you think...?" he asked. "Idiot... you haven't seen a fraction of what I can do yet. Watch this!"

Ike held his hands down in a Chidori like pose, even though he had used no hand seals. A big orb of red energy, like his bloody Rasengan, formed. But then light flowed into it...

"Twilight Release: Great Spiraling Sphere!"

I saw his face, illuminated by the twilight, for a moment. He looked... familiar...

Ike was running at me now, his Twilight Rasengan blowing aside the festering swamp I'd made. He also had his blade at his side, ready for a charging slash. I braced myself, but he didn't do what I thought he'd do. He tossed the Great Spiraling Sphere, then knocked it at me with his sword.

I barely managed to dodge it, hearing a massive explosion behind me which let out a ton of bright twilight. I shielded my eyes, and when I opened them again, Ike was overhead, shouting as he attempted an insane jump cut. I barely reacted in time to avoid certain death, hearing the sakaboto creak slightly under the pressure.

The entire swamp was blown to the sides of the room, revealing the intricate dais of Illumina, from the shockwave of that blow. I grimaced at Ike's terrible strength...

Then I felt it.

The Judgment Seal Ike had used seemed to be getting weaker. I felt it start to break, and because of where we were, it spread... fast. I staggered back from Ike's immense blow, hearing his feet softly land on the ground. I looked down at my hand, which was covered with black, zig-zag lightning bolts.

"See...? I knew I'd get this power back," I said, feeling the immense power flow into me.

"Looks like I overestimated the strength of my Judgment Seal," Ike muttered. "No matter. I'll just have to up the ante."

A blue aura surrounded Ike for a moment, but it dissipated quickly.

"Now... let's play."

I couldn't see him move... not a second later, I was lying face-down on the ground, a huge gash in my back. I was then knocked face up, recieving a cut in my shoulder. He then knocked me around, giving me maybe a dozen cuts. I was left with my back to a wall, Ike's sword sitting just over my head.

"I think it's over," he said. The same blue aura enveloped him, and he started panting.

Ike walked over to Illumina's dais, resting his hands on the sacred sword.

_I won't... let him..._

I staggered to my feet, my own blood clouding my eyes. I readied the sakaboto, then charged at Ike with a bloodcurdling howl.

"Stop!" another familar voice said behind me, grabbing me... hugging me...

_Aegle..._

"Please... stop, Jake. Please..." she cried. I felt the power and bloodlust slowly fading from my body, and then fell over, exhausted...

"Why, Jake? Why..." she kept crying.

Ike walked over to her. He whispered something to Aegle, then started to leave. He was, surprisingly, blasted into the swampland remaining around the room. I heard someone walk in slowly, their boots loudly clicking on the ground. With great difficulty, I looked up... it could only be...

"Charon... you dirty bastard! You were just waiting for this opportunity... weren't you?!" Ike grunted from the swamp.

"Hah... you're so predictible, hitokiri! You exhausted all the options to stop me from obtaining Illumina, and tired yourself out on a wimp!" the sadistic man laughed. He broke into a fit of maniacal laughter. He walked up to Illumina's pedestal.

"Charon, don't! If you take that sword..." Ike muttered.

"Only those with pure hearts and souls can use this sword. Anyone else, it corrupts... right?" Charon asked sadistically. "Well, fortunately for me, I've got no soul, and my heart's made of pure light!"

Charon pulled the sword out of the pedestal. A huge amount of darkness began flowing out of the sword's slot.

"Just wait. Wait for the birth of a new Order of Light!" he maniacally declared. "I shall obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts!"

The darkness passed him over, but an orange ball of light was thrown at him. A second later, Ike had grabbed my wrist and Aegle's, and was dragging us along with him. We got back to the main room, where Ike started kicking open doors, dragging us through some odd rooms, which I couldn't recognize...

I was too tired, and sweat and blood stung my eyes. I passed out pretty soon after that...


	18. 16: A Solitude That Asks Nothing

**Chapter Sixteen: A Solitude That Asks Nothing In Return**

I opened my eyes slowly, making sure to wipe aside any dried blood. A lot was caked on my face, but I got it off in a few moments. I found myself sitting in the Dark Depths of the Radiant Garden. I saw Aegle standing at the edge of the cliff, talking to Ike. I managed to stagger to my feet, still feeling tired and exhausted from the battle with Ike.

"Go to him," I managed to hear Ike mutter. He turned to face the cliff, crossing his arms and looking out over the distance. Aegle ran over to me quite fast. I limped on, still exhausted. I felt a little strength come back when Aegle caught me just before I fell over.

"Jake, you need to rest some more," she said. "You took a serious beating."

"Yeah, I know. But I..." I muttered.

_This is all my fault,_ I thought. _I opened the door to Illumina... I exhausted Ike..._

"Aegle... please. Leave us," I said.

"Why? You need help, and Ike's not exactly skilled in medical abilities," she said.

"I have to talk with him... face to face," I said. "I have to."

"All right," she said softly. "But he won't show you his face or tell you his name. So don't ask."

"Why...?" I asked, puzzled by this comment.

"Just don't," Aegle finished, walking off. I continued to hobble over toward Ike, mustering all the strength I had just to move forward.

"So, you're awake," Ike muttered.

"Yeah. So... I have some questions," I muttered.

"Like what?" Ike asked.

"I have to know... who are you?" I asked. "You name isn't really Ike..."

"I can't tell you. Not yet, anyway..." he muttered.

"But I..." I began.

"Don't," Ike said with a grave tone in his voice.

"Okay, fine..." I muttered, dejected since he wouldn't tell me his name. "So, could you tell me the truth about Illumina? The whole truth."

"Well, it's a sacred sword," he began, "that can only be used by the pure of heart and soul. If anyone else wields it, their darkness is amplified to such an extent that they lose themselves."

"So, then, what is Charon... since he said he 'didn't have a soul' and was pure of heart?" I asked.

"He is... the last Luce," Ike explained. "You see, Luce are beings of pure heart, but they have no soul. They're kind of the opposite of Heartless... and Charon was a bio-weapon made by the light to destroy Xehanort."

"A bio-weapon?" I asked. "That's crazy."

"But," Ike continued, "Sora beat Xehanort's last shred of being, Xemnas, before he was put to use. So he wandered aimlessly, eventually obtaining five mind slaves and trying to destroy Earth."

"So... what happened to him?" I asked.

"Some hero killed him," Ike muttered.

"Then... why's he still alive?" I asked.

"That, I don't know..." Ike said, shaking his head. "There is one possibility, but it's highly doubtful."

"What's that...?" I asked.

"None of your concern," Ike said coldly. "Anyway, I want you to stay in the castle."

"What?" I asked angrily. "There's no way I'll do that!"

"Why not?" Ike asked.

"I showed everyone the way to Illumina," I muttered. "I have to stop him..."

"No," Ike said, the cold tone remaining in his voice. "If you fight him, he'll use Illumina to corrupt your soul. You won't be... you."

"Since when do you care about my soul?" I asked angrily.

"Just... don't," he said, getting ready to jump off the cliff.

"Where are you going?" I asked indigniantly.

"To fix my mistakes."

"Let me come with you!" I shouted.

"I can't do that," Ike muttered. "I stand alone. So follow whatever path you will. But know this: darkness almost always leads to ruin and despair."

"But... you use Twilight!" I yelled at him.

"My path is my path, and my path alone," he muttered, finally taking the plunge.

_Ignore your darkness or fight it head on..._

Those words echoed as Ike fell down the cliff...


	19. 17: Light and Darkness

**Chapter Seventeen: Light and Darkness**

"So... that was..." I muttered to myself. I started laughing, maniacally, it seems.

"I won't give up just yet. I've still got to defeat Ike. But first things first..." I muttered. "I have to atone for showing Charon the way."

I started down the path when Aegle came running up.

"So? How did it go?" she asked me.

"Well... I know my mission now," I replied. "So, let's get down to business."

"What...? Your mission?" she asked.

"Yeah. I have to stop Charon," I said with a solemn tone.

"But we were supposed to do that before..." Aegle complained.

"Now it's personal," I said, still solemn. "First off, we need to find where Charon is. There's only one thing that can tell us that."

"... Ansem's computer," Aegle muttered.

"Right. Let's go," I said, resuming my walk. Aegle followed. We walked slowly toward the castle, slaying anything that we encountered. An abnormally large number of Heartless attacked us, but it was nothing we couldn't handle. We made it to the castle soon enough, and went to the Computer Room. It was empty, of course, so we searched for 'Charon'.

"So, his headquarters are 'Amaterasu'... funny. That's the name of a Shinto god," I muttered.

"There are more important parts, Jake!" Aegle fussed. "Look. Not only is it a realm of pure light, but it's in Kingdom Hearts!"

"Well, how're we supposed to get there?" I mused.

"Well, we could go in through the artificial Kingdom Hearts Xemnas made, but it's in bad shape," she muttered. "When Roy was here, it says, it was in severe disrepair."

"Wait... Xemnas' artificial Kingdom Hearts...?" I wondered. "I was just there a few hours ago. It was in real bad shape, but it was still there."

"We can get to Amaterasu through there, right...?" Aegle asked.

"Well, we won't know until we try. So what are we waiting for?" I asked, getting out of the chair.

"You guys..." I heard Leon say. He walked in with the entire Final Fantasy entourage. "Good luck. You're going to fight Charon, right? Did he get Illumina?"

"Yeah..." I muttered, looking down. "It's my fault."

"Don't worry. You can do it!" Yuffie chimed in.

"What makes you say that...?" I asked, still hanging my head.

"You're Jake Hartmut, the brother of Roy!" Cloud said. "If his skill has any relation to yours, without a doubt, you can take him. Roy is the best swordsman any of us have ever seen, and... that's saying something."

I looked up.

"So... you all know Roy?" I asked. "What's he like after five years?"

"Roy is... a solitaire. He fights and works alone," Leon told me. "I haven't seen him for months."

"So I probably won't see him... oh, well," I muttered. "I've got more important things to take care of at the moment. I'll find Amaterasu... and Charon. And I'll beat him!"

The entourage parted as Aegle and I walked through.

_Funny_, I thought. _Aerith wasn't there._

Aegle and I had made it to the castle doors when Aerith stepped out of the shadows.

"Wait," she said softly.

"... what? I have to go kill someone," I said.

"Don't give in to your darkness," Aerith said softly. "You will be tempted soon, and when you are, you will have to..."

"Yeah, yeah. Ignore my darkness or fight it head on," I said. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

Aegle and I walked outside and beamed up to our Gummi Ship. We went back to the World that Never Was, then began climbing the Castle that Never Was. We reached the Hall of Empty Melodies when I heard someone whimpering.

"Who is that?" Aegle asked, annoyed by the noise.

"Probably Pete," I muttered. "I... well, I..."

"What?" Aegle asked.

"... it's nothing," I said, dropping the subject. "Let's... let's get going."

We resumed our strek up the Castle. We made it up to the Altar of Nothingness, where the floor was still crumbled.

"What... happened here?" Aegle asked. "It's ruined."

"I don't know!" I lied. We then looked around for something... anything left of Xemnas' Artificial Kingdom Hearts. We finally spotted a faint glimmer of pinkish light.

"How're we supposed to get into Amaterasu with THAT?!" Aegle asked angrily.

"Well, I don't have any better idea but to just go for it," I muttered. "Like a leap of faith."

"You'll die if you fall from here! You'll die for sure!" Aegle tried to reason.

"I've made leaps of faith before. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't," I muttered. "But if I'm to fulfill my mission, I've got to make a serious leap of faith."

I got onto the railing, balancing my feet on the edge.

"Jake! Don't!" Aegle shouted.

"Thank you, Aegle..." I said quietly. "Thank you for coming this far with me. However, from here on, this is my fight. It's my mistake to fix, so I won't be angry if you don't follow me. I'm going to do what I can to cleanse my heart..."

"Jake..." Aegle said slowly.

"Stay back, if you want. From here on out, this is my fight and my fight alone," I said, then made a leap of faith...


	20. 18: So Alone, Be Sorrow

**Chapter Eighteen: So Alone, Be Sorrow**

A pink light washed over me, blinding my eyes to where I was. I gasped as I was set down on a floating island of some sort.

"What is this...? Dust?" I asked, grabbing at the sandy material. I looked up, staring at a snow-white void. It was nearly indistinguishable, but some slight shade made it possible to see. A few more islands, all covered with the same material, floated around. In the distance, over three or four of these islands, was a huge castle, the same color as the islands and the odd dust that covered them.

"So, that's my way..." I muttered. I pulled out the sakaboto Ike had given me.

_It's the weapon of my sworn enemy and savior... and it's his memento of a dear friend._

I began jumping across the islands. Unfortunately, I'd misjudged the distances, and needed outbursts from my Cursed Seal to cross most of the jumps. I decided to just leave it once I had made it to the castle.

_After all, I'm gonna need its power to take down Charon,_ I thought.

I walked up to the platinum gate, pushing it open with one finger. The courtyard of the castle was filled with the same dusty material, but a huge crater was just in front of the entrance to the actual castle.

"What... happened here?" I asked aloud. There were also a couple of white trees in the white dust. I walked up to the door. I felt some sort of malevolent spirit from the past swirling around, but I didn't think there was anything I could do about it. I opened the door, but the spirit of some girl in a red coat popped up.

"Who're you...?" I asked.

"Serenity Sheno, you pathetic kid," she taunted.

_Serenity... hey, wait! Isn't she..._

"You're Jason's girlfriend!" I shouted, pointing a Curse Marked finger at the spirit.

The spirit laughed at me.

"That is another fate that isn't meant to exist! You're living a lie!" the spirit pronounced.

I stood there in shock.

"A fate that isn't meant to exist? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" I asked angrily.

"You see, five and a half years ago, a wound was ripped in destiny. The hero..." the spirit muttered. "The hitokiri, who holds the chain of fate in his hands, first grabbed hold of the chain here."

"The hitokiri...? Roy?" I asked.

"Yes... that foolish swordsman..." the spirit mused.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a certain Luce. So move it," I shouted.

"First, you'll see what you're up against... and what kind of power your brother has been struggling to surpass for five years!" the spirit screeched. I braced myself, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a dream world. Every color was transient... faded. There was only one really distinguishable color, anyway: red.

The long, red coat of a white-haired boy. He wore a blue t-shirt, black jeans, leather boots, and black, leather fingerless gloves. He had four sword scabbards on him, though only two had blades. The boy also carried an immense broadsword, and was facing a girl, just like the spirit, locked in combat.

"That could only be..." I said quietly.

_Roy..._

_That's right..._ an ethereal voice taunted._ That's your brother. Now see what Charon... and Roy... are capable of!_

A bright flash of light, and I was standing on nothing. I looked around to see Roy, still white-haired, clashing with Charon. He was now wielding a massive, red-bladed sword that looked a little familiar.

"So... what hapened to the islands? The castle?" I asked.

_Charon... eradicated them._

"Hah! Is that what I'm supposed to be scared of?" I asked. "That's nothing. I have no fear of death, so why bother me with this crap?"

_You're just as reckless as he was... very well. But know this: your brother is not the Roy you see in these illusions. He is a different man, changed entirely from years of defying destiny._

Another flash of light, and I stood in the courtyard again, staring into the bleach-white castle. A crystal staircase led up to some room, closed by a crystal door.

"So my fate is sealed. There's only one guy who could help me avoid this... destiny..." I muttered, looking down at my Curse Marked hands, "and there's no telling where he is. I have no doubt Ike will interfere in my fight, though."

I started up the stairs. As I did, I could feel a presence... not Ike. But it was familiar. It could only be the one I had come here to face.

I burst open the crystal doors. Inside was a large, white room, with several pointless obelisks made of ivory. There was also a large, white throne, with a white-robed man, wielding a legendary sword, seated in it.

"Charon. It's an honor," I said.

"And so the circle is complete. Tell me, Curse Marked boy..." Charon taunted, "do you understand the magnitude of what you're involved in...? This a game of life and death, and I have skills far superior to your own. So turn back now. If you do, maybe some light will pour into your heart."

"Light... hah!" I laughed. "This is my darkness, and my darkness alone! It's the power that was dormant in me all my life!"

"That's not quite correct," Charon said, rising out of the throne. "It is the darkness you were cursed with by... Ike. Yes, Ike. It isn't your darkness. It's his!"

"I don't care anymore," I said, pulling out the sakaboto and unsheathing it. "I've erred, and I have come here to fix that err... **BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!**"

"You are a fool to challenge me..." Charon said coldly. "The master of light! The one who controls the very power your soul opposes!"

We charged at each other. Our blades clashed, sending out a shockwave that cracked some of the obelisks. We stood there, clashing our powers, as the ground beneath us began to crack and crumble. Lightning sparked around us.

_So... this is the full power of a Cursed Seal. It's so much..._

I won the struggle between us, knocking Charon back. I quickly charged my blade with a Chidori, hearing the chirping of a thousand birds fill the silent air. I charged at Charon, who was just recovering, as fast as my feet would move. He moved behind me and hit me in the back, knocking me into his throne. I recovered fast enough to attack him again with my electrified blade.

We attacked and dodged each other's attacks for several minutes before I took a hit.

"That hurts... a little," I muttered as I felt my heart and soul be corrupted a little by Illumina's curse.

"This is impossible! You should have died from a single stroke of Illumina!" Charon muttered, stepping back in shock.

"Well, maybe because you don't have a **SOUL**, you can't use its full powers," I mused. Without warning, I charged at him. Unfortunately, Charon warped behind me. I just had enough time to put up the sakaboto to block his strokes, which hammered down on the piece of steel. The ground crumbled under me, sending me down into some sort of basement. It was as if the light was being drained into some sort of dark portal. Charon came crashing down after me, attempting another hammer strike. I put up Ike's sakaboto, blocking the attack with all my strength.

Charon warped to the middle of the room. It seems my Chidori blade had finally done something to him; it had numbed his hands.

"It's no use, Curse Marked boy. You cannot defeat Illumina, the sacred sword of light!" Charon shouted, charging at me. I braced myself for the almost certain deathblow. But I looked up...

Charon was knocked back by some sort of ethereal slash, a huge gash cut in his chest. I looked up to see a certain silver-coated, red sword wielding vagabond.

"What's this...? Damn you!" Charon shouted at Ike, who at last looked up.


	21. 19: Fading Hope

**Chapter Ninteen: Fading Hope**

"I've come to retrieve Illumina," Ike said, rising from his knees. "You can't handle it," he stated, brandishing his sword. Ike then jumped down over by me from the hole in the roof I had crashed through.

"Here you go, making a big, dramatic entrance! This is **MY** show!" I yelled at him.

"Well... you don't really think **HE** deserves to be the main event... do you...?" Ike asked, pointing his sword at Charon. I looked over at the last Luce, whose wound had healed.

"Well, I suppose not," I said softly, stepping forward to match Ike's position. We then started walking toward Charon together.

"Hah! Do you feel you can defeat me?" Charon asked menacingly. "Defeat the power of Illumina, the sacred sword of light?"

"You should come to realize that you cannot control the power of Illumina," Ike said, waving a finger at him.

"You're wasting your time, buddy," I taunted, pointing my sword at him. "I think he needs to learn the hard way."

I looked at Ike's face, or rather, where his face should have been. It was still covered by his hood, but I felt he'd looked at me, too. We clashed out blades together momentarily while charging at Charon. We ran out and flanked him.

I made the first move, putting the sakaboto away for a Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Charon evaded the attack, trying to impale me in the chest with Illumina. Ike quickly stepped in and blocked the attack, and I used the opportunity hit him in the face with the pommel of my sword. Charon stepped back with his nose bleeding.

Ike charged at him, but was barely knocked aside by a last-minute save that literally saved his life. I followed it up with a stroke of my own, but Charon somehow summoned a lance of light to parry my blow.

Ike and I jumped back, charging once again. We attacked him at breakneck speeds, but were blocked with Illumina and a light lance. Charon stabbed at me, but I knocked it aside. Ike impaled Charon in the shoulder with his great sword, leaving it.

"Twilight Release: Great Spiraling Sphere!"

A basketball-sized orange Spiraling Sphere appeared in Ike's hand, and he threw it at Charon. He dodged it, but it gave me the leverage to impale Charon in the chest with the sakaboto.

Charon staggered back, almost gushing blood. He gasped several times, but eventually grabbed the swords impaled in him and cast them aside.

"You two work well together... but even so, you can't defeat me with simple martial strength. I thought you'd know that, Ike," Charon said, placing disgust in Ike's name.

"So what? You've still lost a lot of blood. I know plenty about human physiology, and if Luce are anything like humans, you're barely able to stand," Ike said. "You can't stand well, your vision is blurred, and you feel like you're dying... because you are."

"You think I'm like you...?" Charon taunted. "Have you forgotten? I have Illumina, the sacred sword of light! It helps me recover from these grievous wounds!"

I looked on in horror as the wounds Ike and I had inflicted on Charon healed at an astounding rate. In just a few seconds, he'd stopped bleeding.

"You think we'll give up that easily?" I asked, making hand seals. I used Earth Release: Great Mud River to delay Charon while Ike grabbed our swords. He quickly got them and tossed the sakaboto to me.

We attacked him again, but not as successfully. He jumped back, almost impaling me in the shoulder with his lance, and striking Ike in the shin with Illumina. We both stepped back, and Ike tore off the ripped part of his cloak. The silver fabric fell to the ground.

"Now... it's over," Ike said coldly. A white aura surrounded him.

"What is that...?" I asked.

"Heh... finally upping the ante, eh, 'Ike'?" Charon taunted him.

"Can it. You're dead," Ike said with the same icy tone. He bradished his sword, then put it in its sheath. "Keep fighting along side me, if you will, but I can't guarantee your safety."

I gulped.

Ike vanished, then reappeared behind Charon. He had already impaled Charon on the back with his red sword. Blood was flowing out of the wound, staining the ground and Ike's silver cloak. Charon staggered forward, but the next time I blinked my eyes in disbelief, he was riddled with deep cuts, all spurting blood.

"I... you're more skilled... with that form... than you were last time we fought..." Charon gasped. "You're only using... a fraction of your real... strength, right...?"

"That's right..." Ike said, stepping aside as Charon fell to his hands and knees.

"Hey, you guys!" A cheerful voice chimed in. I looked up to see Aegle on the crags leading up into the main castle. She carefully jumped down to avoid tearing her clothes.

"Aegle, no!" I shouted. But it was too late.

Charon got a sinister look in his eyes. He dashed toward Aegle even through his greivous wounds. I went to stop him, but...

More blood... the blood of an innocent... stained the snowy floor. The blood of a corrupted light stained the floor as well. My blood stained the floor. Only the mysterious vagrant, Ike, had no wounds.

I grabbed Illumina by the blade, feeling my blood run down it. Aegle slumped over, dead. Charon gasped as Ike's blade pierced his head.

I could only gasp with sorrow and despair as I pulled Illumina from his dead hands. I stabbed his corpse over and over, even after Ike had pulled his sword out. I could only stab the corpse of the one who had taken the life of someone _so_ precious to me...

"That's enough, Jake," Ike said as another white aura enveloped him. "That won't bring her back, and you'll be corrupted beyond salvation if you hold onto that sword much longer."

"I don't care!" I shouted, stabbing the corpse over and over. Ike knocked the blade from my hands with a swing of his sword. Illumina fell over to the center of the room, levitated for a moment, then fell through the hole in the floor.

Ike and I both chased it.


	22. 20: The Truth Revealed Fated Duel

**Chapter Twenty: The Truth Revealed - Fated Duel**

Illumina landed in a river, flowing down into a waterfall. The water was shallow, and we both landed on our knees. Ike and I both ran to get the sword, but I rolled, grabbing Illumina before Ike could.

"So, this is the path you've chosen. Darkness and ruin," Ike said, shaking his head. "Only one thing might save you now..."

"I don't want to be saved," I said.

Ike tore off his silver cloak...

"You... you CAN'T BE! **YOU CAN'T BE!!!**" I shouted as loudly as I could.

The man that stood before me wore a ragged, bloodstained, long red coat. His hands were wrapped to his knuckles in white bandages, the left one stained with dry blood. His face was unshaven and his brown hair disheveled. He wore a black T-shirt and blue jeans, as well as leather boots.

There was only one thing that I truly recognized about him: his blue eyes. I remembered the eyes of my brother, if only for a moment; calm, gentle, and caring. They faded into the eyes of the man before me, which were icy and somber. I knew, though... he could only be...

"**ROY!!!**" I shouted angrily.

_This isn't possible... Roy was never like this! He's not the Roy I know!_

"I had hoped by fighting you, you'd get stronger... maybe even strong enough to help me save everything... but all you care about is power. I see now that this can only end one way," Roy muttered.

"What are you talking about...?" I asked angrily.

"We both what'll happen to you now..." Roy said, "because you took Illumina, and your soul was already tainted, you'll be corrupted beyond salvation."

"Who cares? I already lost everyone that matters to me!" I snarled at him.

Roy looked down.

"I won't let her take you," he said coldly.

"Shut up!" I shouted, charging at Roy with Illumina. He didn't move, though...

At the last moment, he pulled out his now yellow sword. I caught it with my spare hand, while Roy mirrored my move.

"We have hearts of twilight," Roy said, straining a little. "Within each of us flows the darkness, but more importantly, the light!"

We jumped back, letting go of each other's blades.

"And now my heart is saying it wants to stop you!" Roy shouted, jabbing a finger at me.

I could only chuckle at him.

"Unfortunately, our hearts are at odds," I said. "I need more darkness!"

I balled my spare hand into fist in front of my face.

"And we're supposed to be brothers," Roy said.

"'Brothers'... right..." I muttered, getting into a fighting stance.

The waterfall roared.

--------------------

Roy and I walked toward each other slowly. I was using my Cursed Seal, but he wasn't using any sort of empowering technique.

We reached each other soon enough. Our swords clashed and I looked deeply into his somber blue eyes.

_It really is Roy... but why is he like this...?_

We jumped back again. The water hampered my movement a little, but it didn't seem to affect Roy. He moved with speed and grace in the flowing water that seemed impossible.

He attacked me. I narrowly dodged his blow, but before I could actually parry it, Roy had moved in for another attack. I tried that several times, but Roy always had the upper hand. It was as if he was anticipating my movements...

Roy eventually knocked me back. I staggered up, bleeding from my arm.

"Is that all you've got?" Roy asked arrogantly. I growled in anger. I attacked him once again, but he nimbly dodged it. I parried his blow this time, and we were sent into a burst of attacks and parries. We stopped with a clash, then jumped back once again.

We began walking in circles, staring at each other. I looked at Roy with a look of contempt... but Roy kept his icy resolve. We attacked each other again, even though Roy still had the upper hand. He attacked my knees. I jumped over this and dove down on his head. Roy moved up to block it, and sent me flying to the edge of the waterfall.

Roy charged at me again. I pulled out Roy's memento sakaboto to use in conjunction with Illumina. When Roy got to me, I jumped over him, whirling a slash with both of my swords. Roy blocked both of them with breakneck speed, not even turning around to see what he was doing.

"Give me more credit than that, brother," Roy said. "I told you, I've been fighting in life and death battles for five years. What little skill you've developed is but a trifle against me."

"Oh, yeah?" I asked angrily. "Then why don't you finish me off?"

"If that is the only way to save you, then so be it..." Roy said quietly. A blast of blue energy flowed out of him, knocking me back. The water around his feet flowed oddly, surging around him.

When Roy turned around, his hair was tinted sky blue.

"This... is my Aether form. It's the same one I used before," he said. "It's been fun... but now it's over."

Before I could say anything or move to defend, Roy was behind me. He knocked me into the air. Floating, I could see him just standing there before he vanished. Next thing I knew, I was being tossed around in midair like a rag doll. I was blinded with pain as I flew around. After a few dozen strokes, it seemed like he was finished; he appeared behind me... but I wouldn't let it be that easy, so..

I stuck him in the chest with the sakaboto and cut the bridge of his nose with Illumina.

Both Roy and I fell to the ground. Roy staggered forward, and I stumbled back. He pulled the sakaboto out of his chest, which was now bleeding profusely, and clipped it on his belt. He then fell down on his hands and knees.

"Am I... being defeated?" he asked himself, breathing rather haggardly.

"Come on, get up," I taunted him. "You can do better than that."

Roy growled as he staggered up. He looked at me with that same icy resolve. He brandished his sword and lowered it into a charging position. I did the same. Everything seemed silent and slow as we charged at each other. Nothing made a sound, not the running water, not the water splashed up by our feet, not even our shouts.

We swiped our swords at each other.

Time resumed like normal as we shouted at the moment of impact. We stood still for a few moments, but I gasped and fell over, dropping Illumina in the roaring waters. There was a huge gash in my chest. I grasped it as blood began flowing out.

"Gh... you..." I gasped, holding my wound while Roy stylishly sheathed his sword. "You're not truly human... are you... going to kill me? Like everyone else?"

Fear finally crept into my mind, shaking me to my very core.

_Is this... really Roy?_

"I... I don't want to..." I said, shaking where I stood. "I don't wanna die!"

I ran away from Roy, but only a roaring waterfall met me, which trailed off into a dark abyss. I turned around, crying, as Roy began to slowly walk toward me. Water swirled about his bluish aura, parting beneath his feet.

"You're not even worth killing," Roy said. "Foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day, foster your hatred and despise me, surviving in an unsightly manner such as this. By all means, flee... cling to your wretched life."

A massive burst of aura flowed out of him, and I felt... he was more powerful than before. His aura was overflowing, causing the stone beneath his feet to rend slightly with each step.

"You... you bastard!" I shouted, making hand seals. My hand began crackling with electricity as he reached striking range. I charged forward at him, but he didn't seem to move...

He grabbed my wrist, and the electricity fizzled out.

"Is that all?" he asked, throwing me aside. I staggered back until I was at the edge of the waterfall. I couldn't run away, and he was closing in...

"You... whoever and whatever you are," I said to him, sniffling. "I will kill you one day, no matter what the cost."

I stepped back, falling off of the waterfall and into the dark abyss, ashamed and disgraced... filled with sorrow and rage...


	23. Jake's Epilogue: Throw It All Away

**Jake's Epilogue: Throw It All Away**

I landed somewhere below, in a dark realm. I wasn't sure of where I was, but one thing was sure; it was wet. I staggered to my feet, without a sword to support me, and looked down. I was standing on a lake of some sort, but the sky was dark, as well as whatever was underwater. There was nothing around to see; all was dark, save the short vision range I had.

_So... now you know the truth._

A black-robed woman appeared in front of me.

Amy.

"And you've failed four times. Even with a sacred sword, you couldn't do it..." she taunted me. "You should have known that."

I shook my head.

"He's not the Roy I knew. He's too cold to be Roy," I said. "The Roy I knew was calm and kind, even silly at times. But that guy... he's..."

Amy didn't answer.

"... he's not Roy. He can't be. His power... it's beyond my ability to handle. It's... otherworldly," I finished.

"You're right in saying that," Amy told me. "His power isn't human because **HE** isn't wholly human anymore."

"If he's not human... then... what is he?" I asked her.

"You could say... that he's a _Katayoku no Tenma_..." she muttered.

"A One-Winged Demon? He didn't look anything like that..." I said.

"That's because he was still holding back the lion's share of his power," Amy told me. "If he wasn't, you'd be dead, not lost in the Realm of Darkness."

"So he's still far too much for me to take down..." I said, staring at the ground. "Is it even possible to defeat him...?"

"It's very possible," Amy replied.

"How...? His power was impossible even at that 'Aether' level. He matched my Cursed Seal without transforming!" I yelled at her.

"...have you forgotten?" she asked.

"About what?" I asked back.

"The Cursed Seals' second level," Amy replied. "If you advance to that level, you might be able to match Roy's inner demon."

"It would be awakening my inner demon, as well," I said, a little anger rising in my voice.

"You've already thrown everything away," she said with a sinister smile. "If you come with me, I can save you from this abyss. I can show you the way. I can give you the power to defeat Roy!"

A gust of wind blew past us.

"I'll go... but I don't want your darkness," I said to her. "This darkness," I muttered, grasping my Cursed Seal for a moment, "**MY** darkness, will show me the way!"

"Very well," Amy said, opening a dark portal. "Then show me just what you're made of!"

Amy walked into the dark corridor. I turned around, looking up the waterfall that I had fallen all the way down. The top was nearly invisible; it seemed to symbolize the distance between my power and Roy's.

"I will gain power in my own way!" I shouted up. "I will defeat you in my own way!"

I followed Amy into the darkness.

_I don't care if the darkness consumes me! I **WILL** kill you!_


	24. 21: Echoes of the Past

**Chapter Twenty One: Echoes of the Past**

"Hah. So that was Roy's brother..." I muttered, pacing about my shop. I was just thinking about him... he was here a couple days ago. "He seemed a little... vengeful. So what was he talking about? The 'divines'?"

_I could tell you, but..._

"Who's there?" I asked aloud, pivoting around. Nobody was there...

"Guess I'm hearing things..." I muttered to myself.

"You're not hearing anything but me," a creepy, familiar voice echoed. It had to be coming from outside...

I ran over to the door and kicked it down. I stepped out into the empty streets, hearing the wind howl as wind blew past, ruffing my hair. I looked around... there was nothing, save for a tumbleweed that blew past me. I finally looked up, spotting a man in a black coat standing atop the roof of a building in town. His hood was up, but my heart was telling me...

"You could only be... Xehanort!" I shouted, summoning Way to the Dawn.

"That's right..." a sinister voice said, pulling up the hood on the coat. "Riku. It's been quite a while."

"How the hell are you alive?" I shouted. "You should be dead!"

"You have forgotten just how strong the darkness is," Xehanort taunted. He jumped down to look me in the eyes.

"I forsook the darkness long ago," I said to him. "Pure darkness, at least. It's not something I need anymore. I've got friends. I always had them."

"Who needs friends when you've got servants?" Xehanort asked. He snapped his fingers and two other figures in black coats appeared behind him, as well as a couple dozen Dusks. "Friends are nothing more than a liability. You can count on them for a little while, but eventually, they'll fail you. Just like Sora failed you all those years ago."

"Sora didn't fail me. I failed Sora..." I muttered.

_I failed myself..._

"See what friends will do for you while you fight alone," Xehanort said, disappearing in a dark corridor along with his accomplices. The Dusks' mouths unzipped.

"It's been a while since I seriously fought..." I said, getting into a battle pose. "This could get a little messy."

I waited for the Dusks to make the first move. A couple moved in to attack me, but I dispached them with a single stroke. A few more moved in, but I jumped over them, then sliced one in half. The other two attacked me with their spiny 'hands,' but I knocked them aside, then did a spin slash to eliminate them. A few more moved in, but instead of fighting, I closed my eyes.

_**Dark Break!**_

I jumped up, diving down on the Nobodies. I did the same many more times, and in just a few moments, the street was clear again. More Dusks appeared. I attacked them, nimbly dodging all their blows while finishing each one off with a single stroke. After just a couple minutes, the Dusks were gone.

The wind blew again, ruffling my hair once more. Another tumbleweed blew past me.

"So it begins..." I muttered, turning to go back into my shop while dismissing my Keyblade.


	25. 22: The Stage Is Set

**Chapter Twenty Two: The Stage Is Set**

"So, Amy's finally making her move. It's just like Roy told me a couple of days ago," I muttered, noisily sitting down in my chair. "This job's gonna get messy... then again, he DID promise me a ton of Munny. I would've done it anyways, but a nice paycheck is always good."

I looked down at my small map of all the charted worlds. It was crudely drawn, torn, and smudged, but still served its purpose.

"If Amy is in the Realm of Darkness, that would be the best place to attack," I thought aloud. "She'll probably be expecting a full-frontal assault and have more Heartless than I can count waiting. Then again, she might be anticipating me anticipating her moves, so a full-frontal assault could be the best idea."

_Strategy is confusing..._

"Do you need some help?" a familiar voice asked.

"Oh, what's up, Roy? Don't tell me Amy's made even more moves," I said to my red-coated friend. "If she does, it's possible we won't be victorious."

Roy laughed at me.

"What? What's so funny?" I asked.

"It wouldn't matter if Amy made more moves. If we lose, that's it. We don't have a second chance this time," he said coldly.

"But you didn't answer my question!" I hollered at him.

"Well... her pawns have moved, and she could be close to securing a Queen..." Roy muttered.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Well... where I come from, there is a strategy game called... um... what was it again? I could never win..." Roy muttered, pacing around my shop for a minute. "Oh, yeah! It's called Chess!"

"How can you help with the strategy when you can't remember the name of a game?" I asked angrily.

"Sorry, Riku. But anyways," he said, "the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. It can move in any way except a Knight; that is, vertically, horizontally, and diagonally."

"Shut up about your stupid strategy games! It's not gonna help with this!" I yelled, slamming my fist on the crude map.

"I think it will. Understanding strategy is key to any battle, be it single or massive," Roy said. "If you can understand strategy, a battle can be won before it is fought."

"So, what sort of strategy do you have in mind?" I asked him. "It's not like it'll help, anyways."

"Well, our Queen is off on his own, and he's got the King with him," Roy muttered. "A Knight, Bishop, and Rook are over here," Roy said, pointing to Disney Castle. "And here we are, a Knight and a Rook. We don't have any Pawns, so we're lucky we haven't lost any promoted pieces yet."

"Wait. You said there were two Knights and Rooks, but only one Bishop. What about our other Bishop?" I asked him.

"You've got a point. I know about one..." he muttered, "but I'm not too sure he'll be willing to help us. He's even lazier than me."

"Jason. Jason Rashar," I said quietly. "But he's so weak! He couldn't hold a candle to our strength, and in a game like this, it's strength we need!"

"You'll come to realize that he's strong... when he wants to be," Roy said. "He _IS_ a Keyblade Master, ya know."

"Okay. Try and get his help. In the meantime, I'll look for Sora and Kairi," I said. "And... take out one of Amy's Knights."

"Xehanort?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I muttered, looking down.

"You're going to face an inner demon," Roy said. "It's tough. Believe me... especially since Xehanort once had a grip on you. His darkness can never be fully purged from your heart, so promise me one thing."

"What's that?" I asked, looking up at him. Roy was standing at the open door with his back to me.

"Don't lose the most important thing: your self," he said, walking out into the empty town. "I have something to take care of real quick. Go ahead... do what you will. Just don't get yourself killed."

He pulled a silver cloak out of the small bag tied to his belt, then put it on. He walked off into the distance.


	26. 23: Battle in the Moonlight

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Battle in the Moonlight**

"Okay, now. My job is to take out Xehanort," I muttered. "As Roy would say, it's Knight against Knight."

I slowly got out of my chair, going to the exit of my shop. I stepped out into the desolate town, which was eerily silent; I hadn't noticed everyone leaving, so it was a bit odd. I remembered something...

"I need a Gummi Ship to get around, and that, I don't have," I said. "Looks like I'm stuck."

"Well, you would be, but I'm willing to give you a choice," a voice said. I turned around to see a black-coated man. "If you can best me, I'll give you a Gummi Ship. If you fail, you die."

"Hah. An agent of Organization XIII," I said to the hooded figure. "Lemme guess... Xigbar."

"Wrong."

"Xaldin."

"Wrong."

"Lexaeus."

"Wrong."

"Then who are you?!" I shouted furiously.

"Saïx," he said, taking off his hood. His hair was long, blue, and disheveled; there was a cross-shaped scar on his nose; his ears were pointy. It was indeed Sa?.

"So, Saïx, why give me a Gummi Ship? It'd be very troublesome if I left..." I tried to reason. "If I stayed on this island, there would be no threat from me."

"Well, you see," Saïx told me, "if I'm gone, I don't see what the trouble is. It would scare Xehanort's heart if you were to leave."

"I see. So it's venegance you're after," I deduced. "Venegance on Xehanort for not giving you a heart when he had that mass of hearts he called 'Kingdom Hearts' and venegance on me for helping Sora back then. Either way, you win."

"Exactly," Saïx said, summoning his huge claymore.

"Well... I won't go down so easily," I told him. "I DID have a hand in beating Xemnas, you know."

I summoned Way to the Dawn.

"Perhaps so... but you've never faced me, and Sora was, in the end, the one who truly defeated Xemnas," he said, raising a hand. The sky turned dark, and a full moon started to shine. A savage, almost feral look, crept into Saïx's eyes. "In addition, it took two of you to take down Xemnas."

Saïx looked like he was about to burst with rage.

"Well, I've gotten stronger since then," I muttered, getting into a battle pose. "So come on!"

At that utterance, Saïx let out a savage shout, charging at me with his claymore. I ducked under his horizontal slice, attacking his shins. He jumped over my attack, trying to bash me in the head. I rolled and attacked his back. This blow landed, and I tore into his back a little.

Saïx stepped forward a bit while I got off of the ground. It was like he was unfazed...

Saïx charged at me again, this time, sidestepping and releasing energy with each step. I clashed with his claymore when he attempted to strike me, dropping down to sweep his feet. Saïx backflipped to dodge that, but I got up and dragged my sword up his coat, shearing it in half diagonally across the chest.

"So, I've underestimated you," he said, turning around. Blue fur poked out of the cut in his coat. "However, I'm not finished. In fact, with the moon constantly shining, I've been holding back."

"Hmph. Do you really think upping your strength will help? It's not like I'm really trying right now," I said, taunting him, brandishing my Keyblade.

Saïx's eyes turned red.

"You might have guessed it," Saïx said, getting down on all fours while still holding his claymore. He bared his teeth, which had become visibly sharpened, and short claws grew out of his gloves. "I'm a werewolf."

"You think that's supposed to scare me?" I asked arrogantly.

It really does scare me, but I can't let him see that.

"Now," Saïx said, sounding furious, "let's begin."

He charged at me, snarling savagely, running on all fours. Saïx savagely attacked me, whirling his claymore and claws around, I barely managed to parry his claymore when I was hit in the shoulder with his claws. Before I could recover, he attacked me again, savagely shouting. I parried that blow and dashed out of the way of his claws.

I brandished my Keyblade while Saïx made another dash. This time, he made a whirlwind of slashes and swipes I could barely keep up with. Even so, I parried or dodged all his attacks, calling on the training I had done with Roy before he disappeared four years ago.

I eventually knocked him back after Saïx had been mercilessly attacking me over and over, hopping off my Keyblade to remain in the air. He savagely rushed at me again, but I ducked as he lunged, sticking him in the chest with my Keyblade. I used my body as a lever to slam him on the ground behind me. The sky got light again.

He's finished...

"Gurk... so, you really do... ugh... have what it takes," Saïx gasped. "Maybe you and Sora... ngh... didn't best Xemnas through luck, after all."

"Even if I didn't give out the finishing blow," I said, "I'm still strong enough to contend with him."

"Maybe not... but... urk... Xehanort is far more powerful now that his heart, body, and soul act as one," Saïx gasped. "I was nearly as strong as Xemnas... ugh... but Xehanort himself is in another league."

"The level at which Roy fights...?" I asked. "The strength of the otherworld?"

"Yes... but he's having some trouble," Saïx gasped. "That Roy you mentioned and someone named Jason have been eliminating members of our Organization. They're strong..."

"Well, what do you expect? Xehanort resurrects past warriors from shadow, and you earnestly you can match our strength? Especially Roy..." I trailed off. "He's... not human."

"So... it's true. A One-Winged Demon wanders this world..." Saïx said slowly. He then reached into his coat, pulling out a small button.

"Take this. It's a transponder to teleport you to a Gummi Ship," he said, tossing it at me. I knelt down to pick it up.

"Hey... thanks..." I said. But I got back up to see Saïx fading into darkness.

"So... it really starts here," I said, pushing the button.


	27. 24: Mysterious Number XIV!

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Mysterious Number XIV!**

After boarding the ship, I quickly zipped over to the Radiant Garden to get some help. I landed in the Marketplace.

"So... Xehanort. There's something different about him now..." I muttered to myself. "He... still isn't whole. I guess... huh?"

A dark corridor opened behind me, and I summoned Way to the Dawn. But no Heartless came out... only a very battered-looking Roy. He was bleeding from his chest, and a fresh cut across his nose dripped more blood.

"Geez, what happened to you? I thought you were strong," I joked at him.

"Ah... can it..." he muttered, grasping his chest and staggering forward. "I... handled the situation with my brother poorly. I... wanted him to be strong, to get strong by fighting me... but he only cares about power."

"Here," I said, tossing a potion at him. "I know you don't like to be prepared, but use that. It'll help... stupid."

"Thanks..." he said, drinking it. Only a moment later he seemed ready to go, though not fully healed. "Just a sec..."

He wiped the blood off of his face with his coat.

"Okay. Let's go."

"Wait. I wanna see the munny first," I said.

"Fine... fine..." he grumbled, pulling out a pouch from inside his coat. He opened it up to show me more munny than I could count. "I'll give you... a tenth of that. That's about... 10,000 munny."

_What a rich guy..._

"Now, what's the plan?" he asked.

"Well... we need to take out Xehanort. Maleficant's got the Castle that Never Was... but I don't think he'll try and retake it," I said. "We should check out Ansem's computer for a little information on Xehanort... see what he was like before he split into a Heartless and a Nobody."

"Was he ever a complete person...?" Roy muttered.

"What?" I asked.

"It's... nothing," he said. "Let's go already!"

Our footsteps echoed through the empty streets, giving an eerie sense of solitude.

"I like being alone... but... this is seeming a bit desolate," Roy muttered.

"I know what you mean," I said. "Usually I'm surrouned by Sora and Kairi's laughter. But now..."

We made it to the Castle, but at the Postern, a dark corridor opened up.

"Organization XIII..." Roy muttered. Sure enough, a black-coated person stepped forward.

The character cackled.

"He's just as serious as you are..." the character laughed. The voice pitch was high... so it must have been a girl.

"I don't know of any women in the Organization..." I muttered.

"The... Savage Nymph," Roy muttered. "Number XII... Larxene."

The character laughed again, then removed her hood. It was indeed a woman... with blonde hair and two long streaks going back.

"Your stupidity betrays your wisdom," she muttered.

"Nah. He's beat up," I said, pointing my thumb back at Roy. "I'm more than enough to take you down, anyways."

"Yeah, right," Roy muttered. "I'm not one to turn down a fight."

"You idiots," she snarled. "You can't best me... much less the entire Organization, especially numbers I and XIV."

"XIV? I thought you only had XIII members," I chuckled.

"Though that traitor Roxas rejoined Sora, there's still XIII members... because a new Nobody joined," she sneered.

"Whatever," Roy muttered, pulling out his sword. "Are we gonna fight or just stand around chatting? We both know you came here to kill us."

"Yeah, let's get this over with," I said, summoning Way to the Dawn. "I can't stand Nobodies."

Larxene cackled at us.

"Very well... prepare for your deaths!" she shouted, summoning kunai knives between her fingers. She threw them at us, but Roy used a pinkish barrier to shield us.

"That's all the aura I've got for now," he said. "I'm too exhausted to use flash steps either, so we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way!"

"Aura?" I asked.

"Later," he said, dashing out of the barrier. I followed, and the barrier dissipated. Larxene began throwing knives at us, most of which he and I were able to dodge; Roy got pegged a few times, but I dodged them all, including the lightning magic. Just as I was about to strike her, Larxene disappeared in a flash of lightning. I turned around just in time to block kunai with my Keyblade.

"His performance is a bit lacking," Larxene said. "He was wounded before this, right?"

"Like I'd tell you!" I shouted at her.

"I'm... I'm fine," Roy gasped. He grasped his chest for a moment, then got back to his ready pose.

"You're far from fine," Larxene sneered, warping over to him. She picked him up by his shirt, then threw him on the ground.

I charged at Larxene, cutting her in the back, then ducked to avoid the storm of kunai that followed when she turned around. I swiped at her feet, which she jumped over, then knocked her back.

"Why aren't you fighting back?!" I shouted.

"I don't believe in hitting women, unless it's absolutely necessary," he muttered.

"She's not a woman, and has every intention of killing you," I said. "I thought you called yourself hitokiri... manslayer?"

He staggered to his feet.

"Very well... but I'm cutting your pay," he chuckled.

He pulled the kunai out of his shoulder and chest.

"Let's take her!" he shouted.

We charged at Larxene, shouting at the top of our lungs. She warped and threw kunai behind us, but whirling our blades in perfect unison, we deflected them. We then charged ahead once more, dragging our blades along the steel postern. Sparks flew as we moved to slice Larxene simulteneously, but she warped again. We narrrowly dodged the incoming lightning magic.

We turned around. Larxene stood still, cackling.

"You idiots... you thought you could beat me like that?" she chortled, then kept mumbling about our stupidity.

"Riku... I don't have any aura left to use it..." Roy muttered through his haggard breathing. "I'll show you how... but it's up to you..."

He made some wierd symbols with his hands.

"Then hit the ground with your palms. It should... slow her down enough to let us take her out..." he kept going on.

"Like this?" I asked, repeating his hand symbols.

"Yeah. Hurry... there's no telling when she'll be done," he said, then dodged incoming kunai. I made the symbols, then hit the ground with my palms like he said to. Everything turned a little black, and I felt... heavier, somehow.

"What's this?" Larxene asked as kunai on their way to hit me dropped in midair.

"A gravity field," Roy muttered. He had nearly collapsed, but even hunched over, kept going forward. "Now... we'll be able to see your teleports and intercept them. In addition, because... because you're not used to this level of weight, you'll barely be able to move, and... your kunai attacks will be ineffective. They'll... fall to the ground before they get anywhere."

"Is that right?" Larxene asked, still standing. "If that's true, it'll be impossible to dodge my lightning magic."

"You wish..." Roy muttered, chuckling to himself. He straightened out, then stood up. "Now, Riku, let's finish it!"

_Ah... his True Form... he must be running on empty. I better finish this fast._

"Right!" I shouted. We moved as fast as we could, and cut Larxene down while she tried to teleport.

The gravity field faded, and I felt lighter.

"Blargh... cut down by him..." Larxene muttered, fading away into shadow.

"Him?" I asked, but she only scoffed before fading away.

"I... have no idea..." Roy muttered, almost falling to the ground. "Must... have to do with... someone's Nobody..."

"But whose Nobody?" I asked.

"Eh... who knows?" he said.

"Are... you all right?" I asked.

"I'll... I'll be fine. Got another potion... or two?" he asked.

"Sure... here," I said, tossing him an Elixir. He guzzled it, then straightened up.

"Now... to the computer room!" he shouted, charging into the corridors.

"So impatient..." I sighed, shaking my head. "So... Number XIV. Wonder what his moniker is."


	28. 25: Wounds of the Heart

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Wounds of the Heart**

I meandered into the interior of the Castle, following Roy's echoing footsteps through the halls. Soon enough I reached the computer room, where Roy leaned against a wall, inspecting a monitor. I plopped down the plush chair used to operate Ansem's computer.

"Hey... what's this?" Roy asked. "Someone left a disk in the drive."

He pushed a button on the nearby computer, and the disk drive spat out a silver disk.

"What's that?" I asked, turning around to see him fiddling to catch the disk. He fumbled with it until he caught it on one finger.

"I dunno. Maybe someone left a program disk in there. Hey, Tron!" Roy called out. "What is this disk?"

_I do not know_, Tron called out. _It was used by an unknown User, and its function is a mystery to me._

"Unknown user, eh?" I asked. "Well, let's just see what's on it. Roy, put it back in."

He slid the disk back in, and a passcode screen came up.

"Dang. I knew it would have something like this," I grumbled.

"Hey, wait. I know how to use computers. Maybe, with a little help, **TRON**, we can see what's on this disk," he said. "Get outta the chair for a second."

I got out, and he slowly sat down, sighing. He began punching keys on the keyboard, but soon pounded the keys with his bandaged hands.

"What's wrong? I thought you were good with computers?" I asked.

"It's in BASIC. I only know C++!" he shouted. "Damn it! What the hell's it all for?!"

"Hey, calm down. I you look like you've had a rough time lately," I said. "Don't worry about it."

"It's... I..." Roy muttered, then sighed. "Never mind. I'm sorry."

He got out of the chair, took out the disk, and leaned on the doorway to the Heartless factory. I sat back down in the chair.

"So... Xehanort. He was Ansem's best apprentice. We know all there is to know about him already. He just appeared one day without knowing who or where he was," I read. "His thist for knowledge was insatiable, and he made Heartless behind Ansem's back. He split into a Heartless and Nobody... the rest is just garbage, journals and stuff."

"He doesn't have any memories," Roy muttered. "That could be something important."

"Maybe. But who knows? We don't know where he is, much less how many other members of Organization XIII are guarding him," I said. "Regardless... we've got to do something."

"Number XIV..." Roy muttered to himself, then tossed the disk down into the Heartless factory. "If Larxene compared him to Xehanort, then he sounds like a tough opponent."

Roy staggered, then fell to his feet. He gasped, then spat up a little blood.

"What's wrong?" I asked, rushing to help him. Aerith came by in the nick of time, helping me steady him.

"I guess... that battle with Larxene really complicated things," he muttered, then spat up a little more blood. "I shouldn't have... pushed myself so far..."

We carried Roy to a nearby room, which Aerith then shooed me out of, slamming the door along the way.

I waited a few minutes, pacing in the hall, after which Aerith came out.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"He has a punctured lung, numerous muscle strains and bone fractures, and a concussion, not to mention cuts and bruises," she said. "Even though his... different blood lets him heal faster, Roy's... banged up pretty good. It's a miracle he managed to stay conscious as long as you say he did, much less fight in that condition... the pain must have been unbearable."

"Can't potions help?" I asked, rummaging though my bag with a spare hand.

Aerith shook her head.

"Not only would potions be ineffective for wounds this serious... one of his wounds is a wound of the heart," Aerith said.

"A... wound of the heart?" I asked.

"The same as the wound he conceals with those hand wraps... the kind of wound that can take forever to heal, or never heal at all..." she said, looking down. "Someone wounded his heart recently, as well as his body. That's why the physical wound cannot heal... because the person that inflicted the physical wound wounded his heart at the same time."

_That cut across his nose..._

"Okay. Tell him... I've gone after Xehanort," I said. "Whenever he comes to, that is."

"He'll be back in fighting shape in no time, if we know him," Aerith chuckled. "You know he'll refuse to stay in a bed, just like his brother... well, don't get TOO beat up. There is a limit to how many near-dead people I can resuscitate."

"Right," I saluted, then walked off, punching my communicator.


	29. 26: To Exist

**Chapter Twenty Six: To Exist**

It had been a few days since battling Larxene. I sent in a call to Aerith every day, but no word on Sora and Kairi... and Roy hadn't been improving much.

_He did have some pretty horrible wounds..._

I hadn't found much about Xehanort, so I decided to try his old base, even if Roy said that he wouldn't be there. Maybe it would give me some clues, or at least help me get stronger.

I landed in Twilight Town, hoping to make my way through the once-bustling city to the World that Never Was. I figured there'd be a huge amount of Heartless or Nobodies here, so it would be a good way to train.

It was deserted. Not even Heartless or Nobodies roamed the streets.

"So much for training," I sighed. I made a beeline for the Mansion so that I could get to the World that Never Was... no sense in going to my ship only to go a short distance when I could go through the Mansion in the same amount of time.

After I'd entered the Mansion, a dark corridor opened up. I summoned Way to the Dawn.

"Hey, we're on the same side here," someone familiar said. "After all, it's not like I ever tried to kill YOU."

Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames... the Organization's number VIII, walked through.

"So... what's new?" I asked him.

"Nothing, really," he answered. "Well, there's been some problems since Xehanort resurrected the entire Organization, but it's not..."

"Problems? Like what?" I asked. "Don't tell me: internal strife. How pathetic."

"That's just it... since Xehanort isn't a Nobody, a lot of the 'new' members say he isn't fit to lead the Organization," Axel said. "His buddies... numbers II through VI, follow him. Everyone else is following Number XI... Marluxia."

"Isn't he the one Sora killed at the top of Castle Oblivion?" I asked.

"Yeah... and he's pretty strong, too. You'll want to steer clear of Xehanort and Marluxia. Got it memorized?" he asked.

I scoffed.

"I have a question..." I muttered. "We killed Larxene not too long ago... she mentioned a Number XIV. Who is that?"

"XIV... the Black Knight," Axel muttered to himself. "He's... a Black Knight. Nobody has ever seen his face or fought him. He just stands atop the Altar of Naught, never moving or speaking. He's too heavy to shove around, and his armor is impregnable."

"I thought Maleficent had the Castle," I muttered. "When did you guys retake it?"

"Xehanort was waiting until Maleficent was killed," he said. "We took it back not long ago, but I left soon after that. I'm still searching... for my heart."

_Roxas... Sora, I wish you were here..._

"So... the Black Knight, the Organization's Number XIV. Is he better than Roxas?" I asked sarcastically.

"Who knows?" Axel asked. "He's invincible at any rate."

"So... why's he in the Organization, if nobody's ever seen him do anything or heard him say anything?" I asked.

"Xehanort somehow managed to inscribe 'XIV' on his armor with his Aerial Blades," Axel said. "That's about all."

"How do you guys know he's a Nobody?" I asked.

"Xehanort says he is, so we gotta believe him... I decided to leave them and find my own answers, though," Axel said.

"To exist," I completed.

"Yeah... so, where are you headed?" he asked me.

"To take down Xehanort... because he's an obstacle to the existence of the world and... it's personal," I said.

"Xehanort, eh? Try tackling Marluxia first," he said, disappearing into the dark corridor.

"Where are all these Organization members, though...?" I asked myself. "Marluxia... I never knew his name, but if memory serves me right, his moniker was the 'Graceful Assassin.' Now... where would a Nobody go to think he's important?"

_A throne room somewhere? The Land of Dragons, maybe?_


	30. 27: Flowing Water

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Flowing Water**

I quickly flew over to the Land of Dragons, where (as expected) Nobodies swarmed across the land. I forced my way through them from the grove until I was in the Imperial Square of the Emperor's castle. There was a man in a black coat waiting for me.

"More Organization XIII," I sighed.

"So, another person's come to take us on," the character said. "Too bad, I don't feel like fighting."

"Us? You mean you cowards who betrayed the Organization and won't stand up to Xehanort?" I asked. "You fools... you could never beat him."

"They picked the wrong guy to be the door guard," the character muttered, removing his hood.

Demyx.

"Ha ha! They use the weakest guy in the Organization as the bouncer?" I asked. "How hilarious."

I summoned Way to the Dawn.

"Stand aside and let me face Marluxia," I said coldly. "If you don't, you know what'll happen."

"That, I won't do. After all, the Upper Organization just needs to wait for a little while. Then we'll take the Castle," he said. "If you want to fight, sorry, I'm not willing to risk my life over this."

I dashed forward with my Keyblade, but was stopped by a wall of water.

"Well... I don't wanna die again, so..." he muttered. He summoned a sitar of water. "If I have to fight, I guess I will."

He began strumming the sitar, and water clones appeared.

_There must be a hundred clones!_

I began hacking at them, but soon Demyx was attacking me with geysers of water, water clones, and huge bubbles. I moved as fast as possible to keep up with all of them, but even so, it wasn't quite enough...

I closed my eyes in pain from a geyser, and all of the water clones were gone.

"**WHAT?!**" Demyx shouted. I looked around to see...

A Black Knight.

_Is he... Number XIV?_

The knight, wielding a massive purple-bladed sword with a protruding key shape, and covered in head to toe in ebon armor, stood still and silent.

"Hey, XIV! What are you doing?" Demyx asked the Black Knight.

The Black Knight shook his head, then walked off toward the Throne Room. His armor clanked loudly, and his steps thundered through the empty Square. He reached the door soon enough, when I turned back to Demyx, who was still distracted.

"Figures... he finally moves and betrays us, too..." Demyx complained.

"Don't shift your focus," I said. "I'm your opponent here."

Demyx faced me again, blasting water geysers from under my feet. I dodged them easily, then moved in to strike him; without his water clones, it would be pretty easy.

I dodged more geysers, cut water bubbles, and finally hit Demyx...

But the blow went straight through him... as if he were made of water...

My back was turned to Demyx.

"Okay. Time to get serious," Demyx said with a grave tone. I dashed back, uncertain of what to do.

He began moving toward me, shooting geysers up behind and in front of me. I dashed to the side, then struck Demyx again, though my move was still ineffective. Dodging massive bubbles at breakneck speeds, I managed to get to the bridge leading to the gates, but a wall of highly-pressurized water soon barred my path.

"You're not going anywhere," Demyx said. "I won't let you."

I dodged more bubbles, then struck him again. It was still ineffective.

"We're more powerful than before," Demyx said, keeping Way to the Dawn lodged within his watery form. "So you see, martial prowess won't defeat me now."

"Then how about... aural prowess?" I heard a familiar voice call out.

I dashed to the side to avoid being cleaved in two by the Roy's sword, which cleaved Demyx in half.

"What took you so long?" I asked, summoning Way to the Dawn from Demyx, who had quickly reformed himself.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said, brandishing his sword. "I had to get better... a long, tough battle wore me out before."

A long scar was now evident across his nose.

"So┘ you can just reform yourself if you're cut apart, eh?" Roy asked Demyx. "Well... I've got an answer to that."

He made some hand symbols, then brandished his sword again. It crackled with electricity.

"If we can't hurt him with physical moves, I'll funnel aura into our weapons to hurt him passively," Roy said as Way to the Dawn began crackling with electricity, as well.

_Aura manipulation... it seems like a very useful ability._

"Aura? What's that?" Demyx asked, summoning more water clones. Roy and I began dashing around, easily slaying the clones with our electrified blades.

"Aura is the energy field created by all living things," Roy explained, brandishing his sword again as I did the same. "It surrounds us and penetrates us, binds us together and pushes us apart... unifies us and separates us."

"So... if I wanted to, I could learn to control aura?" Demyx asked.

"If you really wanted to... but it would be tough for you, seeing as Nobodies don't have aura," Roy sneered, then dashed forward, cutting Demyx down. "And even if you could, the aura of others is weaker... if you use your own aura, it's far stronger."

Demyx, though he reformed himself, seemed weaker. He staggered, then summoned more water clones. Roy and I continued to cut them down, but were pelted with bubbles, which we also sliced in two. We were tossed around by geysers for a second, but soon cut Demyx down with a combo cross slash. He groaned, then fizzled out into water.

"Still not impressed," Roy said again, making hand symbols. Our blades then glowed red-hot, and he used his sword to cut down the icy barrier leading to the gates.

"Wait," I said to him. "There's a Black Knight in there... he's the Organization's Number XIV."

"So?" he asked. "I don't care. I'll cut him down with the rest of them."

"His armor's invincible," I said to him. "Even Xehanort's Aerial Blades barely managed to do anything to him... they left a scratch, or so Axel said."

He held out a mysterious sword... it was similar to Gaia's Edge, but metal.

"This is Illumina, the Sacred Sword of Light. It taints the hearts and souls of those who touch it... but, with these hand wraps, I've never touched it. And... With this..." he said, slamming it into Gaia"s Edge, producing a shaper blade, now sparkling golden, "its taint is negligible."

"The Sacred Sword? Don't tell me... your brother..." I said slowly.

He looked down, then ran his bandaged hand across the scar on his nose.

"I did what I had to...though I regret having to do that," he sighed, then looked up. "Regardless, this sword can cut through any armor. Its powers transcend normal limits... after all, thanks to Illumina, it has a certain element of divinity in it."

"Are you sure you're up to battling the Organization?" I asked him. "You were banged up really good."

"I know I can't push myself too far, since my wounds have yet to fully heal," he said. "Regardless, I'm not about to let my friends face such powerful enemies alone."

We stepped forward toward the gate.


	31. 28: Risky Business

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Risky Business**

"So... aura," I said. "That's your answer to magic?"

"I suppose," Roy answered as we walked to the Throne Room gates. "It's not as distance-based as magic, and has a limit placed on it by the present life around me. It's really versatile, though."

"Could you teach me how to use aura?" I asked him. We stopped in our tracks.

He held out his hand, which glowed pink.

"It took me a year to learn to manipulate aura at this level," he said.

His hand, or rather, the pink aura on it, solidified into a pulsing red energy.

"It took me two years to learn to manipulate aura at this level," he said.

The aura in his hand formed into a spiraling sphere.

"It took me three years to learn to manipulate aura at this level," he said. "The rest of the four years I've spent developing my own fighting style. I'd love to teach you to manipulate aura, but it takes too long... and we've got work to do."

"That's no fair," I muttered, continuing our walk.

"You spent your time fighting and collecting munny," Roy said. "I trained and developed techniques."

We reached the Throne Room gates, where another Organization member was waiting.

"So... Demyx failed. I thought as much... it's hitokiri and the dark knight," the Organization man muttered.

"Your voice... I remember you," Roy said. "The Gambler of Fate... Organization XIII's Number X, Luxord."

"I see... you're smart," Luxord said, taking off his hood. I remembered him... the one Sora had fought while I still looked like Xehanort's Heartless.

"So... what kind of game do you have for us today?" I asked him. "After all, we know your element... time."

"I don't have anything difficult for you," Luxord said. He summoned a wooden table and two chairs, then donned a dealer's visor. "It's a simple game of blackjack. If you win, I will leave quietly and without a word. If you lose, I will trap you in one of my cards," he said, holding out a card, "and you will never make it farther."

"I'm a master of blackjack!" Roy shouted. He slumped down in the chair, then shouted "HIT ME!"

I waited a bit.

"C'mon, Riku!" he shouted. "It's easy! Just get 21 or under, and as long as your score is higher than the dealer's, you win!"

_Something's off... what's to stop Luxord from cheating?_

"Okay... I've got...!!!" Roy gasped. He showed me his hand.

"Two twos?" I asked.

"Very bad..." Roy whispered. "HIT ME!!!"

Luxord had one card turned over; an ace. He tossed a card to Roy. He picked it up...

Another two...

"HIT ME!!!"

Yet another two...

"HIT ME!!!"

A three...

"HIT ME!!!"

Another three...

"I'm at 14," Roy whispered. "Should I take a hit?"

"Why not?" I whispered.

"If I get a 10 or any face card... I'm finished," he whispered.

"It's worth the risk," I said.

_Pretty reckless of him to just jump into a game like this with a chronomancer..._

"HIT ME!"

A face-down card was tossed to him. He picked it up and turned it over...

"Damn! A Jack!" he shouted, then disappeared. Luxord held out a blank card, which soon had Roy's picture on it. It was labeled as an ace.

"See? This game's more dangerous than you realize," he said, flipping his card over.

_A ten... he got blackjack..._

"So... what's to stop me from tearing apart this mass-murder's card?" he asked, threatening to rip the card.

"Destroy that card, and you will not live," I said gravely. "Those are my rules to this game."

"Very well... but I will hold this card until I am defeated," he said, stashing it in his coat.

_He's cheating by manipulating time... before the game starts, he fixed the cards so that Roy would lose and he would win. How can I beat someone who can manipulate time?_

"Are you going to challenge me, or will I be adding this card to my collection?" Luxord asked, fingering Roy's card.

_I know..._

"Okay," I said, sitting down in the other chair. "Let's play."

_It'll be a strain on my heart... but I can win._

Luxord tossed me a couple cards; this time, he was being more inventive with his cheating... I had a two sixes. He had a 10 and a face-down card.

"Hit me."

I was given a king.

I opened a small dark corridor under the table, tossed the card in, then called for another hit. I kept going until I got the proper card... a nine.

Luxord turned his card over...

It was an ace.

We both declared blackjack.

"I win," we said at the same time.

"We can't both win..." I muttered, then summoned Way to the Dawn. "So... let's make this a contest of strength, not fixed luck."

His table and chairs disappeared as I stood up.

Something familiar... like the aura Roy had talked about flared out at me.

_He said Nobodies don't have aura... what's this?!_

"Time... you see, there's no way you can beat me," he said. I couldn't do anything before I was tossed around, unable to counter anything... the blows were all delivered in the same instant.

_Time is a formible ally..._

I summoned my darkness... slowing time... and countered Luxord's move. I took Roy's card from his coat, then tried to stab him, but he vanished, and Roy reappeared from his card.

"Huh... wha?" he asked, coming out of a daze.

"I saved you, idiot," I muttered, hitting him on the head. "You owe me my full pay now."

Roy only grumbled, then stood back up.

"Well... Luxord was even more of a coward than Demyx," I muttered.

"So... all that remains..." Roy said to himself...

"Marluxia. Number XI... the Graceful Assassin," I said.

"The Black Knight, too..." Roy muttered as we shoved open the doors to the Throne Room...


	32. 29: The Graceful Assassin

**Chapter Twenty Nine: The Graceful Assassin**

We shoved open the Throne Room doors, only to see the Black Knight and Marluxia already locked in combat. The Black Knight had his back turned to Marluxia, whose scythe was around the Knight's neck.

"Insolent fool! Now you will pay the price for your betrayal!" Marluxia shouted at the Black Knight.

He simply brushed aside the scythe without a scratch, then walked toward Roy and I. He stopped for a moment, glancing at Roy, then resumed his heavy gait, red cape fluttering in the breeze.

"That Black Knight will be the ruin of us all..." Marluxia grumbled. He then looked at us. "So... you're here. I didn't expect you to defeat both Demyx and Luxord."

"We're far superior warriors to a coward and a gambler," I said. "After all... we're... heroes."

"He's no hero," Marluxia said, pointing to Roy. "His heart and soul are stained with the blood of billions of innocents."

"Sh... shut up! What would you know about hearts?" Roy shouted at him.

"I remember what it was like to have one," Marluxia said, getting into a ready stance. "That's why the Organization... no, the Upper Organization will conquer these empty worlds and restore life!"

"Life doesn't need you," I said to him, "because, after all, you don't exist."

"Maybe not yet," Marluxia said, "but after I kill you two and steal your hearts, I might truly exist at last."

I could feel the room becoming more humid by the second...

"Demon," Roy said with disgust.

Marluxia smiled devilshly.

"Now... would you like me to show you why I'm called the 'Graceful Assassin?'" Marluxia asked. Before we could react, a jungle sprang up in the room, complete with a thick fog. He disappeared in a dark corridor... but I knew he hadn't fled the area.

"An assassin, eh?" I asked. "Can't you sense him... with aura, I mean?"

"Nobodies don't have aura, remember?" Roy asked. "If I could sense his aura, this fight would be over in an instant."

_Then... what was that power from Luxord?_

"Wonder where the 'graceful' part fits into his personality," I muttered to myself. We began to tred around the new rooms, all of which were covered in plants.

"There's a lot of 'life' around you, right?" I asked. "So... you could sense where there is no aura and find him that way."

"It's not that simple," he answered. "There's too much aura around us to sense where there's an aural void."

_Right... your abilites have been rendered useless._

"Marluxia! Show yourself!" I shouted into the fog.

_There are eight places on the human body that, after succumbing to massive damage, lead to instant death_, Marluxia's voice called from the fog. _The throat, spinal column, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, subclavian artery, and jugular vein._ _**Now... which way would you like to die?**_ _Heh heh..._

"Monster," Roy muttered under his breath. "He knows as much about human anatomy as a doctor would."

Roy raised his sword to block an invisible stroke aimed for his heart. I could see Marluxia, if only for a second, who then disappeared into the thick fog again.

_I see... you're not called hitokiri for no reason_, Marluxia's voice called from the fog. _So... how does a dark knight fare?_

Roy sent out an aura burst that knocked me aside just in time to avoid being decapitated.

"This place is a double-edged sword for you, Marluxia," Roy called out as I got to my feet. "We can't see or sense you, but thanks to all these plants, I have nearly-unlimited aura to draw on."

"We can take down assassins," I cshouted. "Xemnas was a more honorable fighter than this."

_You'd dare to compare me to that excuse for a Superior?_ Marluxia asked. _I see... you really are asking for it._

Roy blocked several more hits, and, using the darkness, I blocked more hits as well...

_I see... neither of you need each other to stay alive. Very well..._

The fog lifted, and Marluxia stood in front of us in an ornate room. The plants began to wither and die.

"Now neither of us have the advantage," Marluxia said. "So... if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

"I think 'Angel of Death' is a better moniker for you," I said to him.

Roy, Marluxia and I all got into our ready stances.


	33. 30: The Angel of Death

**Chapter Thirty: The Angel of Death**

Marluxia dashed at us, swinging widely as a scythe could swing. Roy and I both backstepped, then rushed in after he was done swinging. We attacked, but he used the long handle of his scythe to block our strokes.

"Such a cumbersome weapon..." Roy sneered. "You think you can take us down with that?"

We all jumped back a bit, but Marluxia dashed forward again. He swung at me, but I blocked the stroke, then ducked to strike his feet. He jumped over, but was slammed in the torso by Roy's massive sword.

"That was worse than a Keyblade..." Marluxia said, gasping for breath. "Why...?"

"It has an 'element of divinity,'" I said to him. "It's made up of five swords, a Keyblade, and a divine sword."

Roy brandished the sword once more.

"I call it the Judgment Blade," he said.

"Judgment or not, you can't beat me!" Marluxia shouted. We moved forward to attack him, but were stopped in our tracks by vines. He tried to cleave off our heads, but a last-minute aura burst destroyed the vines binding us. I summoned Way to the Dawn back to me, and Roy picked up his Judgment Blade just in time to block the stroke.

Marluxia growled, leaving a strained look on his face.

"You're stubborn, I'll give you that," Marluxia said with disgust. "You still don't have enough to finish it, though."

"I'm not trying," both Roy and I said.

We all jumped back.

"So then try," Marluxia sneered. He moved forward in the blink of an eye and swung his scythe to chop off my torso. I blocked the stroke in the nick of time, after which Roy swung at Marluxia again with his Judgment Blade. Marluxia disappeared, then laughed at us.

"I said to try," he laughed, "not keep fighting as if you were children."

"Careful," Roy said, anger rising in his voice. "If you push me too far, I can't guarantee your safety... and I don't want to hurt Riku."

"Oh? I thought you were a manslayer, not a guardian," he said.

_Marluxia... you idiot!_

Darkness began to well up within me...

_I won't be insulted like this!_

I felt myself become different... like long ago...

Aura began to flow from Roy, now a bleach white instead of blood red...

Marluxia stepped back in disbelief.

"I see now how you took down the light and darkness..." Marluxia said. "It's because you both embody light and darkness... a dual existence."

My dark aura and Roy's light aura surged a bit.

"Very well, then... sink into the shadow you both love so much!" Marluxia shouted, opening a dark corridor. He stepped into it, and both Roy and I dashed into it.

The other side was a completely black realm...

The Realm of Darkness.

I looked around, catching a glimpse of Marluxia's scythe. He dashed forward to attack us, but Roy vanished, and I blocked the stroke easily.

_Gotta be careful... my darkness is dangerous in the first place, and even moreso in the Realm of Darkness._

I began to attack and parry Marluxia's blows at great speed, sending out small bursts of force as we did so. We jumped into the air, placing massive force in our blows, but neither of us managed to land a strike.

_Where'd Roy go?_

We fell back to the ground, parrying and striking all the way, dashed back, then clashed with massive force.

"I think he abandoned you," Marluxia sneered at me.

Just then, a massive burst of white energy washed Marluxia away, leaving me unscathed.

"What were you waiting for?" I asked Roy, who appeared again.

"The opportune moment," he said. "After all... attacking your opponent is meaningless if your attacks won't get through."

"I see... you work well together," Marluxia said, reappearing. "You called me the 'Angel of Death' before. I wouldn't want to betray your expectations."

He began to rise on a huge Nobody ship... smaller than Xemnas', but armed with at least four scythes, in addition to his own scythe.

Roy and I stepped back, looking up at it.

"Okay... even at the risk of my life, I'll end this!" Roy shouted. A massive burst of aura flowed ot of him, now tinted sky blue. "Riku... let's take him down. Now."

_He's really serious... there's no stopping him from going all out now._

"Right," I said just before Roy disappeared. He reappeared in a stylish pose as the scythes guarding Marluxia's ship fell to the ground in the empty realm just moments later.

"I see now... you're the one we need to worry about, not Sora," Marluxia said as I jumped up to board his ship. I attacked him quickly, but was thrown back by razor-sharp cherry blossoms. I staggered back to my feet, then charged at him, burining the cherry blossoms with a burst of Dark Firagas.

I attacked Marluxia, striking at his head. He blocked, pulled back, and attacked my legs. I jumped up, striking down on his scythe, then standing on it. He pulled back quickly, while I flash stepped back, blasted him with Dark Firagas, then struck him in the head.

We both looked forward in shock as the ship began to lose its altitude. I jumped off just before it crashed to the ground, noticing the bottom was mangled beyond repair. Roy reappeared at my side.

"This is too much... I'm still recovering," he said, dropping his form. "I'll leave him... to you..."

He opened a dark corridor, then staggered through.

_Great..._

Marluxia stepped forward off of the destroyed ship.

"So that's his full strength," Marluxia muttered to himself.

"Not quite," I said, readying Way to the Dawn.

I dashed forward, striking his head, but was parried. I bent at the waist to avoid being sliced in half, then kicked Marluxia in the chest. He staggered back, but swung his scythe at me before I could make another stroke. I blocked the stroke, then forced his scythe to the ground.

"So... a Dark Knight," I said. "That's it... but what about that Black Knight?"

"He didn't say anything when we fought, not even grunts of effort," Marluxia said. "So what makes you think you can beat him?"

I stepped on his scythe, leaving it on the floor, then pointed Way to the Dawn at him... rather, where his heart should have been.

"It's over," I said, driving Way to the Dawn through him. Marluxia closed his eyes and accepted his death, being calm and collected as he faded into cherry blossoms.

"That Black Knight... whose Nobody is he?" I asked myself, opening a dark corridor back to the Emperor's Throne Room.


	34. 31: Explosive Attack!

**Chapter Thirty One: Explosive Attack!**

I came out of the Realm of Darkness to see Roy, still a bit out of it, leaning against the Emperor's throne.

"So... I take it Marluxia's done for?" he asked, walking over toward me.

"Yeah... he resigned himself to his death when he saw it was inevitable," I said to him. "So... wanna go take on Xehanort now?"

"I'll go... but I can't guarantee how useful I'll be," he answered. "I'm still not in the best shape, ya know... and that little Aether outburst doesn't help, either."

"Yeah, yeah... well, want a lift?" I asked him.

"Naw, I'll take my own ship," he said, pressing a communicator he was holding in his hand. I did the same, and when I got to my ship, I was surprised at the ship next to mine.

It was distinctly humanoid, with a pistol in a holster and an energy sword.

"What is that monstrosity?" I shouted into the comm.

"Oh... nothing, I just modeled it after a person. Took forever..." he grumbled. "So, you ready?"

"Yeah... let's go," I said, pushing the throttle to max. Fortunately, the World that Never Was wasn't too far away, so it was a short trip.

We landed in the Alley to Between.

"So... are you sure you're ready for this?" I asked Roy.

"Are you sure **YOU'RE** ready?" he asked back.

We stared at each other for a moment, then began walking forward. Dozens upon dozens of Shadows and Neoshadows attacked us, but with our combined strength, it was child's play. We forced our way through the sea of darkness to the Memory's Skyscraper, where the Black Knight stood near the doorway to the interior of the Skyscraper with his back turned to us. His red cape fluttered in the light breeze.

"Hey, Black Knight!" I shouted. "What are you after?"

The Black Knight turned around, stared at me for a few seconds, then stared at Roy for a few seconds before walking down the stairway. He then walked down the stairs and passed us, not saying a single word or even sparing us a passing glance. I could tell he'd left the World that Never Was when the ground stopped shaking every second or so.

"That Black Knight... he seems familiar," Roy said.

"How so?" I asked, summoning Way to the Dawn for our first battle with the 'Lower Organization' which surely laid ahead.

"His aura... it's familiar, but odd..." he muttered. "I know that aura, but it's different... hollow."

"I thought Nobodies lacked aura," I said to him.

"There are special Nobodies born in special ways... like Roxas and Naminé," he said. "Maybe special Nobodies have aura."

"Well... whose aura is his like?" I asked.

"I don't know... it's too empty to tell," he replied before taking out his Judgment Blade. "Well... let's go."

We passed to the Edge of Despair, taking the lit ramp up to the entrance of the Castle that Never Was. Before we could even make our way to the elevator, there was a black-coated man standing in front of us.

"So... the Organization's really worried about us?" I asked the man, who promptly removed his hood.

Zexion.

"A librarian? Is that the best they can do?" Roy laughed. "This'll be easier than I thought."

"You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance," Zexion said, taking out his book. "Especially when you've never fought me before."

I shot at him with a Dark Firaga, which burned his book. Roy scoffed at him.

"Is that all? Stand aside, Cloaked Schemer. You're not the opponent we seek," I said to him. Roy knocked him off of the castle with a single swipe of his sword once we reached the same level as him, then kept going to the Hall of Empty Melodies.

There a very big and muscular, unhooded man waited for us.

"Lexaeus... the Silent Hero," I said aloud. "Organization XIII's Number V."

He turned around and summoned his massive tomahawk, then got into a ready stance.

"This is why you're here, right?" he asked.

"Of course!" I shouted. We dashed forward, clashing with Lexaeus, who seemed to hold us back effortlessly.

_He is the most powerful... physically... member of Organization XIII, so..._

We dashed back, then to the side, dodging earthen stalagmites that rose up from the ground. Lexaeus charged at us, rending the earth beneath the space between Roy and I, before we hit him in the back. He quickly recovered, then lunged at Roy, who repeled the attack. He then raised a stalagmite under Roy, dashing to attack me. I parried his blow, striking his shin, though it had little effect.

Roy, having recovered, lunged at Lexaeus from behind, though Lexaeus countered the move fast enough and sent him flying into a wall. I couldn't pay attention to him, though; Lexaeus had moved to strike me, and I blocked the blow.

_He's strong! Way stronger than before!_

I strained to hold him in place until Roy, hanging onto the walls with aura, rocketed and struck Lexaeus in the back. At the same time, I leaned in a bit and threw him into a wall, but Lexaeus quickly used a stalagmite to push himself back onto the arena.

"He's... good..." Roy muttered, breathing heavily. "I'd transform, but I..."

He didn't get to finish... too busy blocking Lexaeus' swift hammer strike. I dodged to the side, striking Lexaeus' shin again, though it was still ineffective. Lexaeus began to beat Roy to the ground with his powerful hammer strikes, but Roy lowered his sword, dodged to the side, and then struck Lexaeus in the shin again.

I stepped back, narrowly avoiding stalagmites and hammer strikes, before coming to a stop beside Roy.

"All tuckered out from Marluxia?" I asked, blocking a hammer strike. I moved to hit Lexaeus' left arm, but was blocked by the handle of his tomahawk. I spun around to strike him in the torso, but was again blocked and knocked aside. Roy had finally mustered some strength and struck Lexaeus in the side, sending him flying into Naught's Skyway, though he came back soon enough.

I could feel the platform beneath me beginning to quake.

"Now you've made him mad," I said to Roy.

"Oh, can it," he said, leaning on his sword and sweating heavily. "Nobodies don't feel anything... not pain, sorrow, joy, or despair."

He steadied himself, still breathing heavily, but ready to charge.

"Okay... let's end this," he said as Lexaeus began to walk toward us. I saw the resolve in his eyes...

"Right," I muttered, getting into my ready pose. We waited until Lexaeus had stopped.

Even I could feel the aura Roy was exuding just to stand on his feet... he must have been very worn out from transforming before.

We dashed at Lexaeus, circling around and striking both of his shins simultaneously. We managed to dodge the upcoming stalagmites, then dashed to the side to avoid falling stalagtites. We struck Lexaeus in the back, sending him forward a bit, but then stopped and turned around.

"Okay, you inhuman freak, time to die!" Roy shouted, making hand symbols. Soon, his hand was crackling with lightning...

But then that 'wound of his heart' burst open, tainting the lightning blood red. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air, just above us, even; the aura Roy was exuding vaporized the blood that was spilling out of his wound.

He dashed forward, and an odd sound began to ring through the empty air of the Hall...

_Chirp, chirp, chirp..._

He moved forward in a beeline to Lexaeus, dashing along the ground without even stepping. Lexaeus managed to sidestep just in time, sending Roy careening off of the Hall, though I could tell he was still around... somehow... that noise hadn't faded.

I glowered at Lexaeus, who stepped forward to meet my blade. We began a series of superpowered clashes, each sending out small sparks from our blades, until I found a weakness in his technique. I exploited it and stuck Lexaeus through the left part of his chest...

While a bloody, electrified hand went through the right.

Lexaeus staggered a bit, slumped over as we pulled our blade and hand out of him, respectively, then turned into an earthen pile of dust. Roy then staggered, exhausted, and slumped over.

"You're... not dead, right?" I asked him.

"No... way... I won't... die that... easily..." he gasped. "Never... count me out... unless you've got... my corpse..."

He passed out soon after that.

"He's awfully stubborn," I muttered to myself, then made my way across Naught's Skyway up to the Proof of Existence.

Three portals were now open; Vexen's, Xaldin's, and Xigbar's.

"Who should I take on next?" I asked.


	35. 32: Drifting Souls

**Chapter Thirty Two: Drifting Souls**

I tried both Xigbar and Vexen's portals; however, on the other side was naught but an empty room. I sighed after returning to the Proof of Existence.

"Stupid Xaldin..." I muttered, stepping through the portal. The other side was to be expected: a long white bridge connecting two of the towers on the Castle. On the other side was an unhooded Organization member with dreadlocks and muttonchops.

Xaldin.

I stepped forward, ready for an even more intense fight than that battle with Lexaeus.

I'd even drunk an Elixir.

Xaldin turned around after I'd reached speaking distance. He held his hands behind his back.

"Riku," he muttered. "I should have expected as much."

"Tell me... who slew Xigbar and Vexen?" I asked.

"That foolish boy who's passed out in our Hall of Empty Melodies right now," Xaldin answered. "He tracked them down before the great Cataclysm... after all, even we existed before his soul was stained."

A gale-force wind blew past me, and Xaldin's six spears had been summoned. He held them; two in one hand, one in the other, and the other three levitated.

"You know, even if you defeat me, Xehanort's waiting," Xaldin said. "He'll take everything dear to you."

I summoned Way to the Dawn, trying my best to ignore the winds. They were just too much...

"I'll protect everything dear to me!" I shouted as the winds increased in intensity, nearly deafening my shout.

"Then... let's see your devotion," Xaldin said coldly. "Winds, guard me!"

The gale-force winds died down, but Xaldin was now protected within a sphere of razor winds. I moved in to strike him, but was forced back by the wind. I narrowly dodged six incoming spears, parrying two of them, then jumped back. I blazed at him this time, perfoming a Dark Break, then attacked him; this kind of attack, an aerial dive, broke through his blustery defensive sphere.

He summoned another wind sphere, then fanned out his six spears. They moved around the sphere, then fanned out to strike me. I darted to the side to avoid it, then hurled my Keyblade at him. It smacked Xaldin in the face, then returned to me.

_He knows I can't overdo it with the darkness... I'll have to battle wisely._

I dodged four falling spears, then dashed at Xaldin, sidestepping at the last moment. I kept running, with Xaldin chasing me, then ran up the side of the tower, dived down on him, and struck him a few times before being forced back with a gale.

"Your resolve is strong," Xaldin said. He moved forward, slowly walking on air, before I had to backstep to avoid being torn to shreds by the razor winds. I blasted the ground with a Dark Firaga, launching me into the air, then dove down on Xaldin, who was again hit. I did another short combo before being forced back, then began jumping to avoid the falling spears, which sent up blasts of wind energy each time. The spears then circled around me, so I dashed after they'd disappeared in a flash to avoid being blasted.

"I won't give up!" I shouted over the winds. He then smiled.

"Very well, then... face the winds of despair!" Xaldin shouted, then began to glow a teal color. His spears transformed... they were different, spikier. He rode them around and under the bridge until a 'spear dragon' was just in front of me... and then it began spewing gale-force winds, which I could barely stand up to...

I was nearly thrown off of the bridge and fell to the dark depths below, but hung on with one hand, then managed to pull myself up. I summoned Way to the Dawn, which had fallen from my hands in that blast.

"You're good enough to face him... if you can overcome me," Xaldin taunted. "You do realize you won't live that long, though."

The spear dragon gathered another blast of wind...

I heard a loud clanking as Xaldin and I turned our heads to see the Black Knight slowly moving forward. He stopped in front of me, his cape fluttering wildly in the sharp winds.

"Stand aside, XIV," Xaldin said coldly.

The Black Knight shook his head.

"Then your arrogance and stubborness will be your undoing!" Xaldin shouted at the Black Knight. The spear dragon blasted him with wind...

The Black Knight didn't budge, even as gale-force winds blasted him. Xaldin then shot at him with five of the spears while standing still on the last one.

The Black Knight didn't even flinch. His armor was unscathed... and Xaldin's spears were ruined.

The Black Knight raised his sword.

"Black Knight... stand down," Xaldin commanded. "Even if you did kill me, their lives are still forefit. To challenge Xehanort..."

Xaldin rode down to the bridge.

"Even you would be a fool," Xaldin said. I got back on my feet, then came out from behind the Black Knight.

The Black Knight lowered his sword, looked at me for a moment, then walked away.

_That knight... every time he shows up, I just have more questions. Is he with me or against me?_

"Why did Xehanort even let the Black Knight into the Organization?" I asked Xaldin, who realized that without his six weapons he was doomed.

"Even I wasn't told why," Xaldin said. "Perhaps Xehanort intened to use him as a shield to stop your advance... but he doesn't seem interested in doing anything besides fulfilling his own agenda."

_But what _IS_ his agenda?_

"Do you wish to kill me?" Xaldin asked.

I turned my back to him.

"No. I bear no hatred for you," I said. "Only the one you call your liege... Xehanort."

"Xehanort will not fall," Xaldin said. "He's stronger than you remember... and far stronger than Xemnas or his Heartless ever were."

"I don't care," I said to him. "Flee if you will. But know this: if you ever threaten another life ever again, I swear I'll kill you."

"Fair enough," Xaldin said, then disappeared into a dark corridor.

"All that remains... is Xehanort," I said to myself, stepping through a shining portal and back to the Proof of Existence, then tearing my way though Heartless and Nobodies on my way to the Altar of Naught.

I finally made it, and just as I was making my way up to the top of the altar, it began to rain.


	36. 33: Demons of the Past

**Chapter Thirty Three: Demons of the Past**

The rain made it just a bit tough to see, but Xehanort's black coat stood out against the transient purple color of the sky. I stepped up the stairs slowly.

"So... Xehanort. Here we are again," I said to him. "Tell me... what are you really after?"

"Kingdom Hearts, what else?" Xehanort answered, turning around. "With the power of Kingdom Hearts, I could do whatever I want. With its power, I could end this pointless war."

"War... whatever you're talking about, it doesn't matter," I said, summoning Way to the Dawn. "It ends now."

"I still hold a place in your heart, regardless of what you believe," Xehanort said. "You believe you can defeat me when I control you?"

"You don't control me any longer," I said to him. "I took control of your darkness long ago. It's my weapon now."

"So... you're going to take me on," Xehanort muttered, summoning Aerial Blades from his palms. "I see. You're intent on this, even without support."

I could feel electricity crackling between us... our wills fought head on...

"Still... every light must fade. Every heart return to darkness!" Xehanort shouted. His Heartless guardian appeared behind him, and he began floating slightly. "This is the fundamental nature of existence: all things exist to fade."

"That's not true!" I shouted at him. "Sora and I defeated you and your darkness! That was years ago; now, I can do it myself!"

_This is the way I want it to be: one on one. I wouldn't have it any other way... well, having Sora with me would be nice._

I smirked to myself.  
-------------------  
It thundered and rained as we stood there, looking at each other for a moment. We stood still, waiting for the other to make a move. I finally made the move, dashing around his side to get at Xehanort's back. I was blocked by his Guardian Heartless, then parried a blow from one of Xehanort's Aerial Blades.

I jumped back, then flowed darkness into Way to the Dawn to cut his Guardian Heartless a bit. It fell, but would soon reform itself; before that, I engaged Xehanort in a fierce round of strikes and parries. I was at a bit of a disadvantage; he had two Aerial Blades, though I had only my one Keyblade. He was incredibly strong... just a little weaker than Lexaeus... but his other skills made him a far more daunting opponent.

I had to jump back to block Aerial Lasers which were coming to blast me, and as I did, his Guardian Heartless got back to full strength. I grimaced.

_He really is a lot stronger as a whole being..._

I attacked Xehanort again, going as fast as I could. I managed to get around his back, but his Guardian Heartless soon intervened and tossed rounds of dark energy at me. I jumped over them, hit the Guardian Heartless in the head, then jumped on the Guardian Heartless to face Xehanort. We attacked again; he didn't want the protection of his Guardian Heartless, it seemed...

We clashed in a contest of strength. I was able to hold my ground, but for how much longer, I couldn't say.

I jumped back, avoiding the Guardian Heartless which shot out of the ground along with an energy field.

"Coward," I shot at Xehanort.

"How am I a coward?" he asked. "I am only trying to delay the inevitable. Even you should be thanking me."

"Shut it!" I shouted, dashing forward. His Guardian Heartless rose to protect him again, but I managed to cut it down once more. I knew I had limited time, so instead of pointless attacks, I used a Dark Break. After several hits got in, Xehanort began to shoot at me with Aerial Lasers, so I backed off. When I got back to my ready stance, Xehanort seemed to be unafflicted...

"You thought dark abilities would hurt me?" he taunted. "I use darkness as well. My guardian is a Heartless!"

"You... you bastard..." I muttered, breathing a little heavily.

Xehanort moved to strike me with more dark energy bursts from his Guardian Heartless, which had managed to reform itself. I blocked those energy bursts with Way to the Dawn, then parried blows from Xehanort's Aerial Blades... even though I was beginning to run out of steam...

I jumped back, focusing. Thanks to the rain, I wasn't too hot, but I...

"Running out of steam already, Riku?" Xehanort taunted. "I thought you were better than that after all these years."

I panted, then striaghtened out.

"I won't give up," I said to him. "You're nothing more than a demon of my past. My past... I put that behind me. I won't let my past defeat me!"

I gathered light energy.

"Light? Even a tainted person like you can..." Xehanort muttered, seemingly afraid. "I see... you've atoned."

I channeled the light energy into Way to the Dawn, making it take on a full-angelic appearance...

_Dawn..._

"Right... let's see you stand up to this!" I shouted as thunder rolled. I attacked his Guardian Heartless with Dawn, which slew it in a single strike, then made an appropriate pose.

"The light will defeat you... Xehanort," I said to him. "No matter what... I'll kill you."

"Oh? Then... let's tip the scales in my favor," he said. I could see something odd happening to him... as if he were beginning to fade into two...

_He's splitting himself again into his Heartless and Nobody to gain the upper hand!_

I rushed at him, just in time to be blocked by one of Xemnas' Aerial Blades.

_Here's where it gets interesting..._


	37. 34: Burning Ambitions

**Chapter Thirty Four: Burning Ambitions**

"So... think you can take both of us on?" Xehanort's Heartless asked.

"This... is an unfair game..." I muttered, breathing a little heavily.

_Even with my new Keyblade... Dawn... can I take them _both

"Let me even out the scales a bit," a familiar voice called out. Axel... the Organization's Number VIII... walked up the stairs. "After all... it's not like I have anyone to be."

"Axel..." I muttered as he walked up and stood by my side.

"What?" he asked, summoning his chakrams.

"Thanks..." I said, then turned back to face Xemnas and Xehanort's Heartless. "His Heartless is mine. That's the one I'm after."

"Okay. Xemnas, let's go," Axel said, throwing one of his chakrams at Xemnas. The two jumped into the air; Xemnas was levitating with his power, while Axel rode a stream of fire.

"Now it's just you and me," I said to Xehanort's Heartless. "I defeated you once before... I can certainly do so again."

"Then... let's see if you've got what it takes now," Xehanort's Heartless sneered. I dashed at him... but he faded into wisps of darkness, then reformed behind me.

"Coward. Without your Guardian Heartless, you're nothing," I taunted. I dashed again, this time shooting Light Firagas to stop him. He seemed crippled in pain, and after a few strokes, he fell over.

"Is that all you've got? I'm disapponted..." I taunted, holding my Keyblade over his head.

"You think it's over?" he asked. I felt the ground beneath me beginning to crumble... I did my best to dash to the stairs leading up to the altar, but it was too far... the ground crumbled, causing me to fall all the way down to the Hall of Empty Melodies.

I got up, shoving aside some rubble, and looked around. Roy was still collapsed on the floor, while Xehanort's Heartless floated just above the balcony. In the sky I could see Axel and Xemnas going at it.

"You see... darkness is the heart's true essence!" Xehanort shouted. I dashed from side to side, evading dark flares, before throwing Dawn at him. He seemed to block it with some sort of invisible barrier. Characteristically it came back, but felt odd...

_His darkness... how deep _is_ it?_

I dashed from side to side, eventually leaping up to the balcony. I moved to strike Xehanort's Heartless over and over again, but every blow was blocked with his bare hands.

I jumped back.

"Unsure of why you can't harm me?" Xehanort's Heartless sneered. "It's because though you've gained the power of light, it's a tainted light."

"Tainted light..." I muttered.

_Can my darkness ever be purified?_

I dashed again, shooting Light Firagas. A flurry of those seemed to do a little bit of damage, and so I moved in for a strike. Xehanort's Heartless tossed dark energy at me, but I blocked all of it with Dawn.

After that, I moved in closer, making several high-speed strokes. It was enough to hurt him a little, but I was soon blasted back by a Dark Firaga to my gut.

I slammed into a wall, then staggered to my feet. Xehanort's Heartless slowly moved over toward me.

"So... still think you're so superior?" he asked. I looked into his sinful yellow eyes...

_I'm not giving up, no matter what!_

I blasted him with more Light Firagas, which he countered with an equal number of Dark Firagas. We then attakced and parried each others' blows; Xehanort's Heartless used little more than his fists, though he never managed to land a hit. Unfortunately, the hits that I did manage to land seemed ineffective.

After an exhaustive round of attacks and parries, I knelt down for a moment. Xehanort's Heartless seemed just fine...

_He _is_ a Heartless, after all. No wonder he doesn't tire._

Just as Xehanort's Heartless moved in for the deathblow, which I could have parried, I heard a loud clanking again.

_The Black Knight..._

The Black Knight walked in from Naught's Skyway, then stood in front of me again.

_Is he... shielding me?_

"Sir Knight, step aside," Xehanort's Heartless commanded.

The Knight didn't budge.

"Would you like me to divulge your identity to these people?" Xehanort's Heartless asked. The Black Knight still didn't budge; in fact, he raised his sword.

"I see... so that's how it is," Xehanort's Heartless muttered. He blasted the Black Knight with Dark Firagas, but it didn't seem to do anything but push him back a bit.

The Black Knight moved to attack Xehanort's Heartless, and I went along with him. We flanked him; though he was wearing massive and undoubtedly heavy armor, the Black Knight was able to move at the same speed as I was. We attacked him from both sides, and Xehanort's Heartless summoned a polearm Soul Eater to counter us.

Using some awesome strength, Xehanort's Heartless knocked both the Black Knight and I off of the Hall of Empty Melodies' balcony. I looked up after I heard a crashing sound to see Axel and Xemnas still going at it, though Axel had been knocked through a window. He landed beside me, then kept battling Xemnas as I was forced to contend with Xehanort's Heartless along with the Black Knight.

After a few minutes of intense combat, we had pinned Xemnas and Xehanort's Heartless back to back. Axel had one of his chakrams at Xemnas' throat, while the Black Knight and I both held our sword and Keyblade, respectively, at Xehanort's Heartless' throat.

"It's over," I said.

"Is that what you think? Foolish boy..." Xehanort's Heartless snickered. Before anyone could react, Axel had been impaled with an Aerial Blade.

"Heh... sorry I wasn't good enough..." Axel muttered. "Take him down for me, and for himself. Got it... memorized...?"

Axel faded into the darkness.

"Now it's fair," Xemnas muttered, turning around to face the Black Knight. The two fought, though I couldn't comprehend just how the Black Knight moved so fast in that heavy armor.

"I am your opponent," Xehanort's Heartless said. I turned around just in time to block several strikes from his Soul Eater polearm, though it was a bit tough.

"I won't let you get away with this!" I shouted at him, blasting him with Light Firagas. He knocked them aside with ease, then whirled Dark Firagas out of the Soul Eater polearm.

I blocked them all, then stood still. The Black Knight was soon behind me, barely managing to keep up with Xemnas (not for lack of energy, but simply because he couldn't move as fast).

"It's over now," Xemnas proclaimed. He readied his Aerial Blade to whack the Black Knight with, and I braced myself to block Xehanort's Heartless' stroke...

"No... not yet," I heard Roy mutter. We all looked over to see him stagger to his feet, sword drawn. "I won't let it."

"Three heroes... how poetic," Xehanort's Heartless said to Xemnas.

"Should we show them the true meaning of fear?" Xemnas asked.

"Why not?" Xehanort's Heartless replied. Before anyone could react, the two gathered dark energy in their palms, then slammed it into the floor of the Hall of Empty Melodies. The ground crumbled, sending the Black Knight, Roy, and I falling into the Realm of Darkness, along with several chunks of rubble and Lexaeus' dust...


	38. 35: Otherworld

**Chapter Thirty Five: Otherworld**

The Black Knight, Roy and I fell until we hit something within a dark realm; the Black Knight and I landed on our feet, but Roy landed flat on his face, then got up. It was hazy and hard to see...

"You know where you are," I heard Xehanort call out. "Here, deep within the Realm of Darkness, lies Kingdom Hearts. Within this infinite abyss there is no light save the light you carry within your hearts."

The haze cleared, and I could see a massive Heartless ship. It must have been the size of a fully-functional Gummi Ship... it was massive beyond belief.

"Welcome to the Otherworld."

Roy and the Black Knight fell into the dark haze, but using the light of my heart I managed to fly. I stared up at what could only be the bridge, certain Xehanort's Heartless was staring back.

I flew at the ship, slicing at Darkside Heartless that guarded the hangar bays. After entering I beat down a few Darksides, then began running through the halls, slaying Heartless along the way. After dashing through the halls, I realized I was lost, then ran around looking for a map.

After securing a glowing map, I began to feel weary... keeping Way to the Dawn empowered as Dawn became harder.

"This is a Heartless ship..." I muttered to myself, dismissing Dawn. "There's no light here, so it'll be tough to hang onto myself."

After finding the map, I zoomed through the dark pink and purple ship, looking for the elevator that was supposed to take me up to another elevator through which I could get to the bridge. After running though hallways for a long time, I managed to find one, though a Behemoth was guarding it. I summoned Dawn and cut it down, then dismissed Dawn.

"It's getting tough to materialize light abilities," I muttered, punching the button. After a short elevator ride, I arrived on the 5th floor, where to my surprise Roy was busy cutting down Neoshadows. After helping him, Roy sheathed his Judgment Blade.

"I thought you fell into the darkness," I said to Roy. "How'd you get in here?"

He pointed to a huge hole in the wall, then dusted off his hair.

"I kinda flew in," he said. "So... where you headed?"

"To the bridge," I said. "Gotta end this."

"Let's go, then!" he shouted. I ran off, and he followed my lead. After getting through more Heartless, we reached the second elevator.

"So... we gotta take out the shield generators guarding the bridge, too," Roy said, panting.

"Shield generators?" I asked.

"Of course. The bridge is protected by seven shield generators, each guarded by a clone of Xemnas'," he said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I took out a couple before you arrived. I had just been on my way to an elevator when I was ambushed by Heartless," he said.

"So that leaves five left," I muttered. The elevator dinged open, and we went seperate ways to find the shield generators.

After looking through a couple of rooms, I came upon one of the power generators. It had a creepy face on it and was, as Roy said, guarded by a Xemnas clone. I quickly cut it down, then sliced apart the shield generator. It exploded, then I ran back into the halls to find another.

After a few more minutes of running, I found another room with a sheild generator. I made quick work of both the Xemnas clone and the sheild generator, then went back to searching for another generator.

I found it, but the Black Knight was already tearing apart the shield generator. I ran up to him.

"How'd you get back?" I asked.

The Black Knight shook his head, then ran out of the room. I chased him until we got to the second set of elevators, where Roy was already waiting.

"I see our armored freind is still alive," Roy said smartly.

The Black Knight looked at Roy for a moment, nodded his head, then ran into the elevator. Roy and I followed, tackling a few Heartless along the way.

We silently rode the elevator up. The Black Knight balanced himself on his massive sword, while I dismissed Dawn until we made it to the top. After explosively attacking the Heartless, the only thing that stood in our way to the bridge was Xemnas... the real Xemnas.

"Stand down," Xemnas commanded, pointing at the Black Knight. The Black Knight shook his head, after which Xemnas attacked him. Roy parried Xemnas' second blow with an Aerial Blade of his own.

"Get going! We'll deal with him!" Roy shouted. I nodded, then ran off toward the bridge doors. They wooshed open, allowing me to quickly dash through and up to Xehanort's Heartless, whose back was turned to me.

"It's over," I said solemnly, pointing Dawn at Xehanort's Heartless.

"It's never over... not until I claim the power of Kingdom Hearts and destroy the light," he said, turning around. "You see... without the light, the darkness has no meaning, and thus there is no conflict."

"We can solve the differences between darkness and light!" I shouted, striking at him. Xehanort's Heartless again summoned a double-bladed Soul Eater.

I felt calm at that moment.

We began to strike and parry at breakneck speeds, even as the room behind us rumbled. I whirled Dawn around and made a strike, but it was countered by a whirling block by Xehanort's Heartless. I dodged the counterstrike, ducking and attacking his shins, which was successful. I then struck him in the face, knocking him back, though Xehanort's Heartless recovered in midair.

I jumped into the air, striking at him, but was thrown back by the force of a blow. I fell to the ground after hitting a wall, then looked up to block an incoming attack. I swept at his feet with my feet, knocking Xehanort's Heartless off-balance, then drove Dawn down on him.

I was blocked by his polearm's midsection. He tossed my blade up, then recovered. I dashed at his new, further away position, sending out Light Firagas along the way. He countered them all with a whirl of his polearm, then shot them back at me as Dark Firagas. We stood down for a momemt, exhausted, then resumed out breakneck speed battle.

I pushed into his polearm, splitting it in half with light energy. He was still a formidable opponent; he used the two Soul Eaters to hammer strike me consecutively. I eventually knocked one from his hand, then pushed the other to the ground, stepping on it.

"It's over now!" I shouted. I whacked him in the head, which caused him to disappear in a puff of black smoke.

Roy and the Black Knight came running into the room.

"Is it over?" Roy asked.

"No... not yet," I muttered. "If it were, this ship would have been blown to smithereens."

I jumped out of the ship through a window broken during our fight. Roy followd, using aura to levitate, while the Black Knight began running though more hallways.

After making it across the bow of the ship, we saw why: Xehanort's Heartless... no, the complete Xehanort... was now attached to the ship, tethered on by a bundle of wires. His eyes... were completely yellow...

"You know what to do," I said to Roy. He nodded as the Black Knight ran out near Xehanort's position, now flying as well.

"Let's go!" I shouted. We made an all-out offensive against Xehanort, who blasted us with Dark Firagas, Aerial Blades, and a host of other abilities. After a massive magical blast, I was able to get at him again; Roy and the Black Knight had been blown back, though after a sonic scream the two were at my side again, tearing into Xehanort. After minutes of exhausting battle, he finally began to despair.

"I will find the answer one day," Xehanort said, slumping over. "I will never... be a memory."

He disappeared into a blast of darkness... I was sure he was dead. His massive Heartless ship imploded, finally bringing it to an end.

MORE ON 'DAWN'

---------------------

An empowered version of "Way to the Dawn," Dawn is Riku's fully-angelic (in appearance) Keyblade. As opposed to Way to the Dawn, which deals twilight damage, Dawn deals light damage. The only downside is that light energy must be expent to maintain the enhancement.


	39. Riku's Epilogue: It Doesn't Matter

**Riku's Epilogue: It Doesn't Matter**

We all landed on the small pieces of land leading to Kingdom Hearts. Roy and I were exhausted, but the Black Knight seemed to be fine.

"So... what now?" I asked. "We're here in the Realm of Darkness without a way back."

"There is... one way," Roy said. "Kingdom Hearts. It's the gateway between the realms of light and darkness."

"Let's go through, then," I said. We all strode up to Kingdom Heart's massive doorway, then shoved the doors open with all of our might. on the other side was... the same, but it was different... light.

We walked through, making sure to kill the Darkside Heartless that rose and attempted to make their way through, then shoved the doorway closed. We then flew up into the ether, eventually making our way back to the World that Never Was. We went over to the Brink of Despair, then landed.

"So, Sir Knight, care to tell us who you are?" I asked. The Black Knight turned his back to us, motioning to go back up to the Castle that Never Was.

The Black Knight spoke.

"It doesn't matter," he said. His voice echoed through his armored shell as he walked forward.

"I don't know his voice," Roy said. "Well... let's go. We have one more 'divine' to take care of."

"Divine?" I asked.

"Shortly before that... slaughter... Amy resurrected three of the greatest threats the worlds have ever known," he explained. "Charon, Xehanort, and Senka."

"So who's left?" I asked.

"Senka," he said, hitting the button on his communicator.

"So... it still isn't over. Either way, we'll find our path... and end this for good."

I hit my communicator, returning to my Gummi Ship.

_We **WILL** end this for good!_

INFO ON SOME TECHNIQUES

------------------------------------------------

Shinkogan (True Eye): a special eye ability that Roy developed. By forcing aura into the eyes, one can see normally invisible energy fields. It allows the user to see both aura and chakra, though only for a few moments after a technique has been executed. The downside is that it is not Kekkei Genkai (bloodline skill), and consumes massive quantities of aura; thus, it is only used to see people through aura or for Gentle Fist moves (which do not require years of training, only the ability to see chakra/aura and for the user to have the ability to forcefully insert chakra/aura into the opponent through a physical strike).

Aura Manipulation: the ability to manipulate aura, a supernatural energy field that surrounds all living creatures (with the exception of normal Nobodies). Each aura has a different color and is invisible to the naked eye, as well as a certain signiature; this makes it possible to track others through aura. To actually manipulate aura takes years of training, but can produce fantastic results; aura can mimic most energy based techniques.

Dawn: Riku's enhanced version of Way to the Dawn. By channeling his heart's light into Way to the Dawn, it takes on a full angelic appearance and deals light-elememtal damage.


	40. 36: Temporal Anomaly

**Chapter Thirty Six: Temporal Anomaly**

I sighed. Everything had been so boring as of late... I had gotten a visit from Roy's brother, but he didn't bother to stick around and say anything important. This was SOOO boring...

"So, what are you up to?" Serenity asked me, walking in through the doorway. It had been one boring thing after another... get up, fiddle around on Ansem's computer, go to sleep. I got to eat stuff, but I was seriously tired of all the food they had here.

"Hey, babe," I said to my girlfriend. "I'm not doing anything... just pushing this button, then that button, then this button, then that button..."

I carried on for a few more minutes.

"Now... what's next?" I asked myself. "Go make a little sammich, eat it, then get back to pushing buttons for no reason."

"It's for a reason, Jason," Serenity snapped. "It's so we're aware of anything that's wrong or up. Thanks to your computer skills, everyone trusts you to do this, and you might even find something new on that computer."

"Ah, who cares?" I asked, putting my left arm back into my sling within my coat.

_That wound's never fully healed... wonder why?_

I got up from the chair, then went to the upper levels of the castle to make a sammich. I overloaded it with meats and cheeses (especially cheddar), but put no greenery on it. I hated the greens.

"Now... where's the microwave?" I absentmindedly asked myself.

_I've been here four years and I can't find the damn microwave?_

"Oh, wait. There is no microwave," I muttered, then began to bite into the sandwich. I had polished it off along the way back down to the computer room.

Serenity, clad in her skimpy black dress, was still seated at the chair.

"Hey, I gotta get back to work," I said. "No more pinball for you."

"Yeah, yeah..." she muttered, slowly getting out of the chair. I Xed off the pinball program, then got back to work restoring Ansem's computer files. It was seriously boring... I hoped something interesting would happen today, and not just Roy and Riku popping up to use it for a couple minutes.

After a couple of hours, something interesting did happen...

**_ALERT! Temporal Anomaly detected in the Marketplace! ALERT! Temporal Amonaly detected in the Marketplace! ALERT! Temporal Anomaly..._**

"Shut up, you damn machine!" I shouted, banging it with my fist. "I'll go see what the hell yer babblin' on about, just can it!"

I got out of my chair, calling for Serenity to follow me. She got her quarterstaff and came with me. After a couple minutes, and a few Heartless, we made it to the Marketplace. There a black-coated man was waiting.

"Hey, who are you?" I asked.

He turned around and took his hood off. Luxord of Organization XIII.

"Get outta here," I commanded, summoning my Keyblade. "This is no place for you to be messin' around in."

"Why not?" Luxord asked.

"There's a temporal anomaly around here... someone's been messin' with time..." I muttered.

Both Luxord and Serenity looked at me as if I were stupid.

"**HE'S** the temporal anomaly!" Serenity shouted, jabbing a finger at Luxord. "He controls time, remember?!"

"Oh, yeah..." I muttered, scratching my head. "Well, amscray!"

I pointed my Keyblade at Luxord.

"I have no intention of going anywhere," Luxord answered. "If Riku can best me, and just barely, then I have a proposition for you."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Defeat me, and I'll leave," he said. "Fail, you die."

I laughed.

"Is that it?" I asked. "Whatever. I'll play along."

He threw several die at me, which I easily blocked.

"You see... I have control over time. And so..." he muttered. Before I realized what happened, I was hit with several razor sharp cards.

"Come on, is that the best you can do?" I asked, pulling my left arm out of its sling. I dashed forward, attacking him in a flurry, then put my arm back into its sling.

"That's the best you've got..." I muttered, dismissing my Keyblade. "Sorry, but yer no match for me. Now get outta here. Go on!"

"Never... I won't be insulted like this..." Luxord muttered. I sighed, then began walking away. Before I could make it out of the Markeplace with Serenity, though, I felt snagged on something...

"Hey! What the hell?!" I shouted. I looked down to see myself falling into some sort of yellow portal...

"Jason! What the..." Serenity muttered, turning around. She grabbed me by the arm, trying to pull me out of the vortex, but to no avail. After about a minute, she was only hanging onto my wrist; soon, in a moment of despair, she let go and I was plunged into the vortex...


	41. 37: Dystopia

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Dystopia**

"Oh... my head..." I muttered, opening my eyes. "Was that all a dream, or was I..."

I looked around. The sky was at dusk, clouded by storm clouds. I was still in the Radiant Garden's Marketplace, but it was different. Everything was in a shambles, including the distant castle.

"What... happened to me?" I asked myself, looking down at my hand. "Where am I?"

It began to rain. I trudged forward, unhappy but unafraid. After a few minutes, I made it to the Rising Falls... where I was shocked to see a shantytown. There were makeshift buildings all over the place, even on the water.

"Hey... what's goin' on?" I asked the first scraggly person I encountered. "What'r y'all doin'?"

"Whadda ya think?!" the stranger asked angrily. "Foraging for food."

_Foraging? There ain' enough food?_

I went through the shantytown, passing people huddled on the water around burning barrels... people sleeping in the streets and on the water, people fighting over small pieces of bread, people wandering aimlessly through the crowded and disorganized streets until they fell over, exhausted... or worse.

"There's an odd scent in the air," I muttered, sniffing. "The scent... of death."

After a little more wandering, I came upon a heap of burning bodies.

"What is this place...?" I asked myself, horrified. After getting over the scent of roasting humans, I went back up to the Marketplace. I wandered around a bit before spotting black coat wearing guys. I decided it would be in my best interest to stay out of their sight (as a rule, I never start talking to people who wear black unless I know who they are), afraid for my health.

After darting around, dodging more black-clad guards (who, by the way, were armed with large billy clubs), I managed to make my way into the now-dim corridors leading to Ansem's computer room. I dashed through the halls, still wary and making sure not to be spotted by the guards. Unfortunately, when I finally got to the room, it was closed... and locked.

"Hm... what should I do now?" I asked myself.

_I don't have a Gummi Ship... Ansem's computer room is locked... there's a shantytown down in the Rising Falls... what's going on?_

I went and jumped down to the Heartless factory, taking a bit of impact on the knees. After stumbling from the pain, I looked up to see the factory working... at an astounding rate. Heartless rose up to attack me, but I cut them down with relative ease. Before I could leave, an alarm began blaring.

_**INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER...**_

The voice was a lot different from the annoying, feminine voice of the computer before. It was harsh and rough...

"Crap!" I shouted to myself. I dashed up the stairs, then forced the door open with my spare hand. I dashed through the room, forcing the other door open as well, before being confronted with dozens of the armed security guards. I beat them all down, allowing the fact that they were only able to come through the door one by one, then jumped on their fallen bodies and ran out of the room. I dashed through the corridors until I reached the exit...

Where more security guards than I could possibly hope to take down on my own surrounded me.

"Halt! You're under arrest!" a guard shouted. I dismissed my Keyblade and held my hands up. One of the guards promptly handcuffed me, and I was led, with my head down, to the dungeons of Hollow Bastion...

-----------

"Shaddup and don't move!" one of the guards shouted as I was thrown into the dungeon. I got up, massaging my bruised wrist, then began to putter around the dungeon.

_What'd I do?_

After a little while, I settled down on a flat rock and went to sleep...

I was jarred awake by someone's shouting. I got up and went to the bars of my cell to see someone kicking and screaming while being carried off by two of the black-garbed guards. I didn't make a sound, though other nearby prisoners shouted and hollered.

After the prisoner had been carried off, I decided to ask another inmate about this.

"Hey, dude," I asked the guy in the cell next to me. "What's goin' on?"

"You mean you don't know? What are you, mental?" the man replied.

"Well... no," I said. "I've been... away."

"Away? There's nowhere you can run to escape the Dark Lord," he said, sighing. "That's why we're all here."

_Dark Lord...? Amy?_

I sighed, then stared at the roof of my cell.

_I wanted adventure, not a different brand of boredom..._


	42. 38: The White Knight

**Chapter Thirty Eight: The White Knight**

I sighed, staring at the roof of my cell. They didn't give me much to eat, but there was plenty to drink. All they ever gave me was gruel, and very little of it...

_Damn. I'm getting bored._

The only thing that was keeping me sane was being able to train with my Keyblade.

_Serenity... Sora... Roy... I hope you guys are all right._

**ONE WEEK LATER**

--------------

I sighed, staring at the roof of my cell. I was still seriously hungry... and seriously wet. The floor was water, so no matter what I did, I got wet, except if I stood on my rock or slept on it.

I began singing incoherent songs to myself, then puttered around the cell, rattling my Keyblade against the bars.

"Hey, shut up!" one of the patrolling guards shouted.

"No way! You can't jes' expect me to sit here all day every day! What the hell'd I do?!" I shouted at the guard.

"Just shut up and stay down!" the guard yelled.

There's no way to make them see reason...

I puttered around my cell for a few more minutes, then was surprised when one of the black-clad guards was thrown back against a wall. Guards swarmed toward the exit, though they were all thrown back. A loud clanking then echoed through the halls, screeching and reverberating against the cell bars.

A heavily-armored White Knight came in. His blue cape was a bit bloodstained, but otherwise clean, and he carried a large purple sword. Using it, he tore apart the prisoners' cells, releasing them. He got to my cell, then sliced the bars like they were warm butter. I ran out, but didn't flee; I followed the White Knight.

After watching him tear apart a few more prisoners' cells, he began to walk toward the exit. I followed him from a distance. He simply kept walking toward the Dark Depths, though his armor was no longer clanking loudly. He made it, while I followed, then opened a dark corridor. After looking around to make sure nobody was there, he walked into it; I followed him.

I seemed to lose my way in that dark corridor, but found myself in a dark and starless realm. There was something here, though; a long track supported by a series of poles. The White Knight was climbing a ladder to a small station, and I could hear something approaching. I climbed the ladder, then waited on the top rung for something to happen.

After a couple minutes, a long monorail train approached. A door wooshed open, and the White Knight slowly walked through. I dashed up the ladder and into the train car, just barely managing to worm through before it wooshed closed.

I dashed behind some nearby boxes to avoid the White Knight, who turned around after hearing my footsteps. He shook his head, then went into the next car.

"Whoo..." I muttered, breathing heavily from excitement. "Wonder what that was all about? Ah, it don't matter. He busted me outta jail, that's what matters!"

I sighed, no longer a sigh of boredom but a sigh of relief.

After the White Knight had gone into the next car, I came out from behind the box. I went into the car behind us, as opposed to the White Knight. Before I could even get through the door, though, my wrist was grabbed by cold steel.

"Hey, lemme go!" I shouted as the White Knight dragged me off with one hand...


	43. 39: Seven Years

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Seven Years**

"Hey, knight! **LET... ME... GO!!!**" I shouted at the White Knight. He said nothing, and only dragged me further. After a minute or so, and several cars, we made it to the front of the monorail train, where the White Knight let me go.

A figure was seated, shrouded in shadows. The White Knight bowed while I massaged my wrist indignantly.

"Greetings, Sir White Knight," the figure said. His voice was familiar, but I couldn't tell who he was. "I take it you managed to free the prisoners?"

The White Knight nodded his head, then pointed to me.

"Ah... a memory from my past. It's a wonder you found him..." the shadowed figure mused. "Sir Knight, please... leave us."

The White Knight bowed again, then turned around and went out the door.

"So... Jason Rashar, Keyblade master of Earth," the shadowed figure muttered. "Never thought I'd see your face again."

"Why's that?" I asked.

"You up and disappeared seven years ago," he said. "With that... everything just went to hell."

"Who... are you?" I asked. "I recognize your voice, but it's... different somehow."

The figure got out of his chair and stepped out of the shadows...

"Sora..." I said slowly, shocked at what he looked like. His left eye was covered by an eye patch, while his right arm didn't seem to be there; instead, a purple, silk sleeve dangled down without a limb. He wore an otherwise unassuming outfit; a light blue jacket, a green T-shirt, and faded, torn, and worn jeans. His shoes were still big and yellow. "What... what happened to you?"

"Whadda ya mean?" he asked, taking out a cigar from inside his coat. "I've been like this for five years... oh, right. You were away."

He put the cigar in his mouth, then lit it with a lighter. He puffed smoke out at me, and I coughed.

"I was away? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nobody's seen you in seven years," Sora said, taking the cigar out of his mouth. He puffed more smoke, and I coughed again.

"Could you not smoke, man?" I asked.

"Sorry. It's one of my guilty pleasures," he said, dropping it on the ground and stomping on it.

"Just sit back. We're trying to avoid detection by the Dark Lord's watchmen, but it's a bit tough... after all, we're in his realm," Sora said.

I looked at him stupidly.

"Uh... could you get me up to speed? I've been gone for seven years, apparently," I muttered.

"Oh... right," he said. "Well... it's kinda complicated. After you disappeared, we took down Amy... but someone else showed up a little while after that. He was stronger than anyone I ever knew, and is still stronger... he wiped us out."

"Wiped... you out?" I asked.

"He killed Riku... Kairi... Roy... and even Serenity," Sora said, sitting back down in his chair.

I was horrified, to say the least.

"So... who is this 'Dark Lord?'" I asked after getting over the shock.

"We don't know... his origin is shrouded in mystery, and he's never called himself anything but the Dark Lord," Sora said, sitting down and hitting a couple buttons. "We don't know if he has any weaknesses, and nobody's ever tried to take him down since... that day."

"That day?" I asked.

"A five years ago, we thought we'd raised enough troops to take the Dark Lord down, but we were stupid," he said. "The White Knight and I attacked his fortress head-on, with an army, even, but failed. That was... the day I lost my arm."

"And your eye?" I asked.

"Lost it earlier to one of the Dark Lord's archers," he said.

_The worlds really have gone to hell in my absence..._

"So, what are you doing now?" I asked.

"Hiding right under the Dark Lord's nose," Sora said, pushing a few buttons. "We're in the Realm of Darkness, hiding on one of his freight trains we quietly siezed. He still uses it for its purpose, but **WE** comandeer it. It's our HQ."

_Their headquarters is a monorail train... wow._

"I have one more question," I said.

"What's that?" Sora asked. "There's very little time for a Q&A. The Dark Lord's going to be loading this train up soon, which means we'll have to hide while our undercover agents load the cargo."

"It's not a long one. Who is that White Knight?" I asked.

Sora looked at a glowing panel for a moment, then looked up.

"The White Knight? Nobody knows," Sora said. "He never sleeps or takes off his armor, so nobody's ever seen his face. He barely ever talks, either. Some say he used to wear black armor, but..."

An alarm started beeping.

"What's that?" I asked.

"No time. Hurry," he said, dragging me into the previous car. He opened a box and stuffed me inside of it, then I could hear him do the same. After a minute or so, I heard some boots going across the floor, then the shout of a guard.

"What's this cigar? Whose cigar is this?" an abrasive voice shouted.

"Oh, nothing. I was just careless," another, more distant voice said. "Sorry. I'll pick it up right away."

"Well, see to it that you don't leave any more cigars laying around. If you do, I'll have to think you're associated with the Photon Battalion and arrest you," the rough voice said, then walked off. A couple minutes later, my box was opened. I took in a deep breath...

_The air in those boxes is **WAY** stale..._

"C'mon. We've got a lot to discuss," Sora said, dragging me into the head of the train again.

"Like what?" I asked, fumbling about.

"How to fix all of this..."


	44. 40: How to Fix Time

**Chapter Fourty: How to Fix Time**

"How can we fix something like this?" I asked. "If the Dark Lord controls everything... like it seems he does... how can we possibly fix it?"

"Simple," Sora said. "Send you back through time."

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"WHAT?!?" I shouted.

"Well... sending you back through time isn't the simple part," he said. "If we can do it, though, time should be fixed."

"How's it broken?" I asked, pushing a couple of buttons.

"Dont touch that," he said. I left it alone. "We can fix time by sending you back to the moment you disappeared... because it seems you're out of your time. A temporal anomaly, you could say. Therefore, if we send you back to the past, your actions will influence what happens, and the future we're in could never come to be."

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"HUH?!" I shouted.

"Sir White Knight, please bring me a piece of chalk and a chalkboard," Sora said into a comm. The White Knight appeared soon, handed Sora the chalk, and dragged a chalkboard behind him into the room. He then bowed, without uttering a single word, and left.

"Okay, here's a line of time," Sora said, drawing a line across the chalkboard. "It's constant and doesn't alter in flow."

"Yeah," I muttered.

"Here's the point where you got sent here," he said, placing a dot about halfway through the line. He then smudged the line just in front of the dot.

"Hey, wait. What happened?" I asked.

"Time was messed up," he said. He then drew a line diagonally from the point down, then kept going forward until he stopped and hit the chalk on the end of the second line. "Here's where we are now."

"We're in an alternate timeline?" I asked.

"No... not quite. We're in a timeline that exists as the main timeline because the main timeline never came into existence," he said. Sora then drew a line from the current time to where I disappeared, fixing the smudge.

"So... if I get sent back to when Luxord sent me to this time, time will fix itself," I muttered. "This is... complicated. You've thought a lot about this, huh?"

"Not really," he said, tossing the chalk into the air and catching it. "You just have to think fast when you're a guerrilla."

"Okay. So... I get sent back to the past. What then?" I asked.

"Just do what you would have done," he said. "Once you're back in the past, all of this will come undone because you were still there. I'm not sure, but with your strength we may have been able to defeat the Dark Lord."

"Man... this is complicated..." I muttered, rubbing my head. "What happened to just pushing buttons?"

"Things change," Sora said, staring out into the starless realm.

_No... things weren't supposed to change... not... like this..._

"Well, that's a load on my mind," I muttered. "So... how do I get sent back in time?"

"That's the question," Sora said. "You can't hang out here much longer, because if you do, this war will mess with your heart. You shouldn't even be here... now."

"I need to get back to the past... but how?" I asked again.

"If we could find Luxord... if he's still alive, even," Sora said, "we could send you back. Someone as powerful as Luxord... no doubt he's in the Dark Lord's dungeon."

"We'd have to assault the Dark Lord's castle?!" I shouted. "If he's as strong as you say, there's no way we could take him on, much less get me sent back to the past!"

"The Dark Lord... is not strong," Sora said. "He's only powerful..."

The White Knight walked in, then bowed.

"Oh, Sir Knight. Please tell me everything's going all right," Sora said.

The White Knight nodded his head. He pointed into the corridor.

"Ah... wonder what's up..." Sora muttered, walking out into the train. I followed, thrown off-balance slightly by the rocking of the train. We went out to see many Heartless attempting to dismantle the train engine, then promptly slew them.

"Ah, it'll take a couple of days to fix this," Sora muttered as the train slowed down a bit. A couple of technicians came in and began repairs while we went back to the front of the train, where the White Knight was still standing.

"Why didn't you do something, Sir Knight?" Sora asked him on the way in. The White Knight shrugged, then went back out.

I noticed something scratched onto the White Knight's left gauntlet...

"Well... I better start mobilizing the Photon Battalion if we have any hope of getting into the Dark Lord's fortress, if only for a moment," Sora said, hitting a few buttons.

"Photon Battalion?" I asked.

"Our organization's name," Sora explained. "We have agents all over the place, all of them ready for battle in a moment's notice. To gather all of them though... will take a day or so."

"So what's the Dark Lord like?" I asked.

"Harsh, unforgiving, cruel... darkness personified, I guess," Sora muttered, hitting a small, hidden button.

_I thought... the Heartless were darkness personified?_

"In the meantime, Sir White Knight!" Sora shouted. The White Knight came in, his armor clanking loudly.

"Spar with this man until we reach the drop-off point, then hide him. After that, resume sparring with him," Sora said. The White Knight dragged me off...


	45. 41: Battle Preperations

**Chapter Fourty One: Battle Preperations**

The White Knight dragged me through most of the train before stopping. He then drew his purple broadsword and brandished it, pointing it at me.

"So... Sir Knight, is that it?" I asked.

The White Knight nodded his head.

"Okay. I'll play along," I muttered, summoning my Keyblade. The White Knight gave me a two-fingered 'bring it on' taunt.

_I know that taunt..._

"Very well. This won't be easy..." I snickered. "Not even for you."

I dashed at the White Knight...

**THE NEXT DAY**

------------

I woke up on the inside of one of the shipping boxes. I tried lifting my arms. They hurt. I tried lifting my legs. They hurt...

_That White Knight... how can he be human? He's... he's so strong..._

Standing the pain, I got to my feet, then opened the box. After coming to my senses and brushing aside some eye boogers, I stretched out on the way to the head of the train. Sora was still seated there, looking at a screen and pushing buttons.

"Hey... wha times' it?" I asked, yawning.

"About 2 A.M.," Sora said. "I guess you sparred for a while?"

"Well... 's not that..." I mumbled. "That knight's really..." I yawned again, "really strong."

"Of course. His armor's impenetrable to everything but Keyblades," Sora said. "It's divine, somehow."

"Oh... that's why I managed to scratch his armor," I said.

"You actually managed to hit the White Knight?" Sora asked. "Maybe you're stronger than I realized."

"Oh?" I asked.

"I've only managed to hit the White Knight once when we spar," he said. "His ability... it's inhuman, but with good reason."

"That is?" I asked.

"He's a Nobody," Sora said. "Ever notice how his armor clanks sometimes and how it's silent sometimes?"

"Yeah... come to think of it, normally his armor's really noisy," I muttered, scratching my head. "But when I followed him here, it was quiet. He must have some sort of control over sound."

"That's right," Sora said. "His ability has allowed us to go undetected when we otherwise would have been captured."

I yawned again.

"Hey, quit it. I can't sleep... not now," Sora said. "We're picking up a few agents soon, and I need to make sure they haven't turned on us."

_This place... it's horrible. I better get back to my time and fix this as soon as possible!_

The monorail train stopped, and a few agents got on, from what I could tell. I sat in the front for a few minutes while looking at all the glowing buttons as Sora went and checked on his agents. He came back, once again scorning me and telling me not to touch buttons.

I snoozed off, staring into the dark and starless realm, and woke up a few hours later. The sky was a tiny bit ligher, now a fog grey instead of pitch black.

"Hey... ready?" I asked Sora, wiping away more eye boogers.

"Yeah," Sora said. "We've got all our forces gathered... when we make the drop-off at the Dark Lord's manor, we'll surprise attack him."

I jumped when the White Knight made his presence known by hitting the floor with his sword.

"What the hell was that for?!" I shouted at the Knight.

The White Knight shook his head.

"All right. We're coming up on the drop-off point. Get ready," Sora said.

"Why? What's the best he's got?" I asked.

"Well... his guards, called 'death gods,' are nearly unbeatable... after all, they're his elite troops," Sora said. "Beyond that... is a beast of unimaginable horror."

"How unimaginable?" I asked, not amused.

"It has a vicious streak a mile wide!" Sora shouted.

"Whatever. I have to get back to my time... so let's go!" I shouted.

_I know what they've lost here... it's not just thier friends and their land... it's hope..._


	46. 42: Enter the Vorpal Bunny!

**Chapter Fourty Two: Enter the Vorpal Bunny!**

Sora, the White Knight and I rushed out of the monorail train. We weren't instantly greeted with 'death gods,' but instead a dark and empty ground just before a walled fortress. It was surrounded by a huge concrete wall, topped with barbed wire, including several watchtowers.

Moments after we stepped out, an alarm blared. Dozens upon dozens of black-robed guards, like the ones I'd seen at Hollow Bastion, swarmed out of two very large gates.

"Get ready," Sora said, summoning his Keyblade. The White Knight drew his sword, and I summoned my Keyblade as well. That instant, hundreds of white-cloaked warriors ran out of the train and waited. Sora took a few steps forward.

"Everyone! I know this is the reality you know, but it isn't what was meant to be!" Sora shouted. "Someone from Organization XIII messed with time, and this is how things ended up! If we've got a chance to fix everything, though, I'm willing to risk everything to set things right! So everyone that likes the way things are, stand back! Everyone else, let's go!!!"

Sora's speech was met with thunderous shouts, all enthusiastic.

The White Knight brandished his sword.

I gulped, then gathered my courage.

"**PHOTON BATTALION, MOVE OUT!!!**" Sora shouted, charging into the coming line of death gods. Everyone... the White Knight... myself... and the hundreds of soldiers of the Photon Battalion charged at the death gods.

It was a bloody battle, to say the least.

I darted around, slaying the death gods with several strokes each. I hated blood... but I...

I didn't have a choice; I had to accept that I was a soldier in a guerrilla war now, but more importantly, I was a big piece in a puzzle... known as time.

After what seemed like hours, I stood, exhausted, on a bloody battlefield. Thousands of dead bodies littered the ground; more black than white. My Keyblade, stained with blood, was dismissed.

"So... that's just the first step," I muttered, very out of breath. I trudged towards the gate, following Sora, the White Knight, and a few other surviving soldiers of the Photon Battalion.

"I guess... they weren't as tough as you said," I gasped.

"No... I've just been fighting them for a very long time," Sora replied.

I looked over at the White Knight, who was unscathed.

_I expected as much from someone with invincible armor..._

We went through the huge doors, slaying a few more death gods that waited. The inner area was mostly fenced off; there was only a straight path leading to another closed door. After forcing it open, we were confronted...

With a white rabbit. Bones were scattered about its area, and the harmless rabbit began hopping about.

"Hah! That's the best he can do?" I laughed. "Some Dark Lord."

"You shall never pass my strongest champion!" I heard someone shout. I looked up to see a balcony, where a black cape turned in movement.

"His strongest champion? What is this, a joke?" I laughed again.

"You," Sora said, pointing to one of the Photon Battalion. "Take care of this pathetic excuse for an opponent."

The soldier moved forward, but before anyone could blink, the rabbit jumped at him and decapitated him. With that, we all rushed the rabbit, but it began a frenzied attack, jumping from person to person and decapitating them with its razor bite. Sora and I ran back after all of the remaining soldiers had been killed, but the White Knight remained to do battle with the rabbit. Someone shouted again...

"I told you nobody could ever take out my Vorpal Bunny!" I heard the Dark Lord shout. He turned around again, and though the White Knight was unscathed by the Vorpal Bunny's attacks, he was ineffective in battling such a small and agile opponent.

After a couple of minutes of getting nowhere, I sighed.

"How sad," I muttered. "Taken down by a rabbit."

"Blizzaga!"

I turned around to see a beautiful woman with long, raven-colored hair and emerald green eyes dressed in a skimpy black dress... I also gotta admit... she was... that is... eh... um... '_well developed,_' if you catch my drift...

_Man, Serenity got **HOT!!!**_

"What? You're still alive?" Sora asked, waving his arm.

"You just left me there," Serenity said, stomping her quarterstaff on the ground. "I was only knocked out..."

"Why've you been hiding all this time?" Sora asked.

"No reason," she said. "I just didn't feel like joining your little militant group, that's all."

She looked at the White Knight, who was still pointlessly struggling against the Vorpal Bunny.

"Is that...?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Sora muttered.

"What? You guys know who that Knight is?" I asked. "I thought nobody knew."

"You lied to him?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah... he didn't even know about the Black Knight, so he shouldn't know who the White Knight is," Sora answered.

"Wait. You know who the White Knight is?" I asked.

"I'd tell you... but..." Sora began.

"Organization XIII's Number XIV... Oryx, the Black Knight."


	47. 43: On that Day, Twelve Years Ago

**Chapter Fourty Three: On that Day, Twelve Years Ago**

"Oryx? Wait..." I muttered, scratching my head. "He's... Roy's Nobody? How's that possible?"

"It's a widely known fact that the Heartless attacked Earth twelve years ago," Serenity said. "We forgot it, but in the end, it's true. On that day, twelve years ago, the Heartless came to earth... along with the Order of Light."

"Order of Light?" I asked, scratching my head.

"A group of five elementals led by Charon, a Luce," Serenity said.

"Beings without souls," Sora explained.

"Uh-huh..." I muttered. "But what's that got to do with Roy having a Nobody?"

"When he first started looking for other people, he was attacked by the Order," Serenity said. "In an attempt to find the Keyblade master, the greatest threat to their plans, Charon had one of his Masters judge Roy's heart and soul to see if he was the chosen one."

"Yeah... I kinda remember," I muttered. "They did the same thing to me... it's kinda hazy, though."

"People that were judged and not Keyblade masters were said to become Heartless," Serenity said.

"How... do you know all this?" I asked her.

"I've been looking for a way to fix this disaster, same as Sora," she said. "I've just been using... more covert means."

"So what happened? How'd he become a complete being again?" I asked.

"He didn't. His fortitude was simply strong enough to allow him to reclaim his form... though he was a physical being that could not be purified with the Keyblade, Roy wasn't human," she said. "His physical form was a construct of his heart; that is, because his fortitude was so strong, he was able to maintain a corporeal form in this world, despite his lack of a body; he even wrenched a spare soul from a Nobody just as it was killed. However... if he were to fuse with Oryx in the past..."

We looked up at the White Knight... Oryx, who was still doing battle with the Vorpal Bunny.

"Get going," Serenity said. "I'll deal with this rabbit."

"You can't," Sora said. "It killed my most elite troops with nothing more than a razor bite."

"Your elite troops weren't sages," she said. "Now get going. If there's a chance to makes this all come undone, I'm willing to risk everything to protect it!"

We walked forward toward Oryx, but the Vorpal Bunny lashed out at us.

"Stopga!" Serenity shouted. The rabbit froze in midair. "What are you waiting for? Get going! I can't hold it forever!"

The Vorpal Bunny's eyes began twitching. Oryx, Sora and I dashed to another door, shoving it open and closed just before the Vorpal Bunny fell to the ground.

We walked in further to the antechamber, slaying the death gods that made their way to challenge us. After making it to the end, a black-caped figure appeared from the darkness... his face, shrouded in darkness...

"My liege," Sora said mockingly. "It's been a long time, has it not?"

"You could say that," the Dark Lord replied. "I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to attack my stronghold after last time."

Sora summoned his Keyblade, and Oryx pulled out his sword. The Dark Lord flared out darkness... and with it, summoned a flamberge...

"Jason! Go now!" Sora shouted, blocking an instant strike from the Dark Lord.

"Sora... I..." I muttered, summoning my Keyblade.

Oryx... the White Knight spoke.

"Tell Roy that he's forgotten something very important," he said, then charged into battle with the Dark Lord.

_You guys..._

I dismissed my Keyblade and fled into the dungeons...


	48. 44: Homecoming

**Chapter Fourty Four: Homecoming**

I dashed through the dungeons, casting aside my tears, searching for Luxord. After a couple minutes, and a number of rumblings throughout the castle, I found him, chained and hanging by his arms, head hanging.

"Luxord," I muttered. "Luxord!"

He looked up.

"You've got to send me back to that day seven years ago. Please!" I shouted.

He looked up. I saw something different in his eyes...

Anguish...

"Please," I asked.

"I... don't have the strength..." he muttered.

"We have to fix this," I muttered. "I'm sorry if I was too aggressive that day. I don't know what these past seven years have been like, but if two days are any indication, it's been a living hell."

He chuckled.

"That's true... if this means so much to you... I'll send you back. This... is our only chance..." he muttered, gathering a yellow glow. I looked down to see myself falling into a yellow portal, like the one I'd fallen into a couple of days ago.

After falling... a long way... I wound up on my back in the Marketplace of the Raidant Garden. The sky was blue and clear; the air no longer smelled of the burning flesh of the dead.

I looked around to see Serenity battling Luxord in a battle of time; a fireball was seated between them, and they clashed with time magic to stop or move it.

"Wait!" I shouted. They stopped, and Luxord dodged the fireball. "That's... that's enough."

"Whadda ya mean? He made you disappear!" Serenity shouted.

"Don't... 's enough," I said. "This kind of fighting will get us nowhere. We need to focus on the darkness, not each other."

"What would you know?!" Luxord shouted at me.

"I've seen a future," I said.

They got quiet and lowered their weapons.

"I shouldn't have been told anything from then, but I..." I muttered. "We have to fight the darkness. Battling each other is simply a waste of our energy."

"Jason..." Serenity said, dropping her staff.

"We have to find Sora and Kairi," I said. "Then... I've something to settle with a Black Knight."

Oryx... the Nobody of Roy.

"You cannot stop the Black Knight," Luxord said. "His armor is impervious to all attacks. ALL attacks!"

"Not quite," I muttered, summoning my Keyblade. "His armor can be pierced by divine weaponry... including Keyblades."

"I'll never let you get that Black Knight," Luxord said. "He's my last chance at doing something meaningful... if you attempt to kill him, I will take your life here and now."

"I've seen what happens when people disappear..." I said with a grave tone, "but seeing as how you don't exist, I'll have no remorse in killing you."

I dashed forward, making sure to watch my feet so that I wasn't dragged into temporal portals, while simultaneously watching ahead to deflect dice and razor sharp cards. I felled him with a single stroke, after which he faded into darkness.

"I have to go find Sora and Kairi," I said, dismissing my Keyblade with my back turned to Serenity.

"Why?" she asked.

"To see if they're all right... after all, we're gonna need their help," I replied.

_And to make sure Sora still has two arms..._

"I'm coming with you," Serenity said strongly.

"'k," I said. "But when it comes time to face the Black Knight... I have to go alone."

"The... Black Knight?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Let's go... I'm sure they have leftover Gummi Blocks at the castle, they're just too lazy to put a ship together for us," I muttered, then began walking off toward the castle. I felt my foot snagged on something...

"Ow! I stubbed my toe!" I shouted, hopping and holding my foot. I had stubbed it on one of the stone walkways.

"Watch where yer goin', geez..." Serenity muttered. We made it to Ansem's computer room and, after a couple hours, assembled a fairly simple Gummi Ship.

"Now... to find Sora," I muttered, going up to Ansem's computer.

"How are you gonna find him?" Serenity asked.

"Well... I can find anybody, so long as they're not far from their Gummi Ship," I said. "After all, I put tracers on everybody's ships."

"Everybody's?" Serenity asked, not amused.

"Well... Roy doesn't have a ship that I know of, so that's why..." I muttered, then began pushing buttons on the keyboard. "Aha! Sora is..."


	49. 45: Against the Black Knight

**Chapter Fourty Five: Against the Black Knight**

**A/N**: _The musical theme for this chapter's action sequence is "_Against the Black Knight_," a song from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. I do not claim ownership to that song, Fire Emblem, or intend to profit from it. It's just a tiny bit of omake._

We entered our Gummi Ship manually; no teleporter needed. I went and sat in the captain's seat, now aware of my role.

_If even one person disappears, it's all over... I actually have a purpose other than pushing buttons..._

"So... where are we going?" Serenity asked.

"To find Sora and Kairi... at Disney Castle," I said, punching in the coordinates. We zoomed over there; not only had I equipped some of the best engines, but my computer skills enabled me to maximize thrust while minimizing power drain. We landed in the Gummi Hangar, now eerily silent... the gears were not turning.

"So... where are they?" Serenity asked as we walked out into the Courtyard.

"If anywhere... I'd have to guess... the Hall of the Cornerstone," I muttered, then walked over to the stairway leading down to the hall. When we got down there, Sora and Kairi were near the Cornerstone...

But so was...

The Black Knight.

Oryx.

"Black Knight!" I shouted. He turned around, no longer paying attention to Sora and Kairi.

I was relieved to see Sora still had both of his arms, but there was another bit of business to take care of...

"Black Knight... in the name of the order of the worlds, I challenge you to a duel!" I shouted, summoning my Keyblade and pointing it at him. The Black Knight chuckled, then drew his purple sword.

"Jason!" everyone but the Black Knight shouted.

"I know what I'm doing," I muttered. "I've fought him before."

The Black Knight shook his head.

"Stand back," I said. "This is my fight."

Everyone ran out of the room, closing it behind them.

"Now it's just you and me... Black Knight."

We stared at each other.

----------------------

I attacked the Black Knight quickly. He walked forward slowly, his armor clanking. We clashed our blades and locked into a contest of strength.

The Black Knight shoved me back, attacking my feet. I blocked the blow, then forced his blade back, and eventually struck his torso.

It was nicked.

The Black Knight seemed surprised. He ran forward, attacking me with a diagonal attack, but I blocked it, then forced his sword to the ground. I jumped up and over him, striking his helm, once again nicking his armor. He turned around and nearly struck me, but I managed to block the blow, despite being forced back.

I skidded and stopped just before hitting the Cornerstone of Light, then charged forward again. I knocked his attack aside, then whirled my blade to push him back. He moved his arm forward, blocking the stroke, then hit me in the shoulder. I staggered a bit, then straightened out.

"Your style... I've fought someone like this before," I said. "It's good... but not refined."

The Black Knight raised his fist, flared it to the side, then charged at me. I nimbly dodged the blow, intending to nick his armor again, but was blocked. He pushed me back, then clanged his sword against his armor.

"What's that supposed to... AAGH!!!" I shouted as a sonic screech rang through the Hall. I dropped to my knees, but got back up just in time to roll out of the way of a sword strike. Shuffling to my feet, I blocked the incoming strike, then pushed the Black Knight back a bit.

I dashed at the Black Knight again. He nimbly dodged my blow, after which he kneed me in the gut. I gasped, out of air, then was hit in the back with his large sword.

I fell to the ground, then got back to my feet. The Black Knight hadn't quite made it to the doors yet, so I charged at him. He blocked the blow, then sent me back.

The Black Knight's head was down. I watched in awe as a blue ball of energy gathered in his hand, which was raised to the sky.

"Wh... what is that?" I asked.

The Black Knight slowly looked up. I could have sworn he had a sinister smirk on his face, but it was obscured by his helm.

He threw the energy ball at me, which I knocked aside with my Keyblade. It deflected and exploded against a wall, leaving spiral grooves.

"Is that all you got?" I asked, beginning to feel a bit tired. "If so... it's not enough."

The Black Knight moved away from the door.

"Now... that's more like it," I said, branishing my Keyblade. I dashed forward, meeting the Black Knight halfway, and once again engaged him in a contest of strength. We both pushed, then pushed harder, then pushed harder still. After a minute, I let go, ducked, and attacked his shins. He brought his sword down, but I dodged the stroke, then got up on my feet.

I stood there, slightly down, then stepped back.

_I know I'm stronger than this! I've got to be!_

I took in a deep breath, then straightened out.

I kneeled, dodging a horizontal slice. I knocked his sword aside, then pointed my Keyblade at his face.

"It's over," I muttered. The Black Knight held out his hand, curling his fingers slightly, and...

His sword reappeared in his hand.

It was a Keyblade, as well.

_No wonder. He **IS** Roy, but..._

"Okay... no more games," I muttered, pulling my arm out of its sling within my coat. "Time to end it."

The Black Knight shook his head.

I dashed forward, no longer caring if he lived or died. We attacked in flurries of breakneck speed, but niether managed to land a blow. After a couple minutes, we clashed, putting a massive amount of force into the blow, and knocked each other back.

The Black Knight held out is spare hand, shooting bits of lightning at me. I dodged them, then charged at him. The Black Knight knocked me aside, then chased me, no longer using his sword; he now beat me up hand-to-hand. After a minute or so, and after spitting up a considerable amount of blood, he let me down.

The Black Knight drew his sword, then pointed it at my head. I managed to look up at him, still bleeding from the mouth.

"Hope," he said, then sheathed his sword. He walked towards the door, then shoved it open.

"**ORYX!!!**" I shouted. The Black Knight hesitated for a moment, then kept going before my vision blurred... and failed...


	50. 46: Hope

**Chapter Fourty Six: Hope**

"Aagh..." I muttered, opening my eyes. "Where am I?"

"On our Gummi Ship," I heard Serenity say. I got up out of a bed I was in, putting my arm back into its sling, then went to the bridge, where Serenity was seated in the captain's seat.

"Hey, get outta my seat," I grumbled. She did so reluctantly.

"So what happened to you?" she asked me.

"I... couldn't beat the Black Knight," I said. "He kinda beat me up."

"I thought you could beat him?" Serenity asked mockingly.

"Ah... shut it," I muttered. "So what now?"

"I think we should go talk to Sora and Kairi," she said. "They're the only people that have seen the Black Knight, as far as we know."

"Right..." I muttered.

_The Black Knight... Oryx... he told me 'hope.' I wonder what that means?_

"No... there's at least one other person who's seen the Black Knight, and I have a message for him," I said. "We have to talk to Sora and Kairi, then... find Roy."

_I gotta wonder, though... if the future I went to never existed now, then how did I recieve that message?_

"Okay. I beamed them a message and told them to meet us on the Destiny Islands," Serenity said. "Riku might be there, too... Sora just sent us a message saying he hasn't left the islands in a few years."

"Oh," I muttered absentmindedly. We went over there, then beamed down.

"Yo! Sora!" I shouted. He was just around a corner, and walked over towards Serenity and I.

"What's up?" Sora asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," I said. "So how's it goin'?"

"Just fine. What were you doing in the Hall of the Cornerstone?" he asked.

"Looking for you... and the Black Knight," I said.

"Why? He said he'd protect us," Sora said.

"Protect you?" I asked.

"Yeah. He was totally silent, but said a single word," Kairi said. "Guardian."

_Guardian..._

"So Riku's here?" I asked.

"Probably. He set up a Nobody hunting shop... he hasn't left because he's afraid if he does he'll FINALLY get a customer," Sora said. "It's just over here. Let's go."

We went over towards Riku's shop, emblazoned with the Nobody crest. We could hear loud noises coming from within.

"Riku!" Sora shouted, shoving the doors open. Inside, Riku was sitting at his desk while Roy stumbled around.

"'sup dudes," Roy slurred, still stumbling about.

"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked.

"He found the town's ale and helped himself to it," Riku said.

"Hey... I am... _hic_... not drunk," Roy slurred. "I'm just... _hic_... taking my medicine..."

"Medicine?" I asked.

"He said 'ale heals all wounds," Riku said.

_Well... not in that regard... and there's a kind of wound no amount of ale can heal..._

Roy stumbled, fell onto his back, and passed out.

"Damn. I had a message for him," I muttered. "Well, I decided we should all meet here because there's something we need to take care of."

"Senka?" Riku asked.

"No... she's dead, remember?" I asked. "It's... about the Black Knight."

"What of him?" Riku asked.

"He's hostile," I said. "We need to eliminate him, or bring Roy to do battle with him."

"Why?" Sora asked. "He protected Kairi and I."

"He helped Roy and I to to take down Xehanort," Riku said.

Hm... this is a bit of a delicate situation...

"Okay, we find him first," I said. "Before that, we need to compile all we know about the Black Knight. He says almost nothing, has invincible armor, and is really strong."

"When I asked him who he was, he said that 'it doesn't matter,'" Riku said. "He also has what Roy calls 'aura,' but his is 'hollow.'"

"He protected Sora and I," Kairi said. "He told us 'guardian.'"

I decided not to divulge the information I'd learned in the future.

"He told me 'hope,'" I said. "What does it all mean?"

"I will tell you, but you must come alone," a mysterious voice called.

_I know that voice... it still haunts me in my dreams._

Senka.

"Who are you talking to, Senka?" Riku shouted.

"Jason."

I looked at everyone, then nodded. After that, I walked out of Riku's shop and to the beach, where Senka, still dressed in her purple cape, was waiting.

"So what do you know about the Black Knight?" I asked.

"There's no need to refer to him simply by his title," Senka said. "I know his name... Oryx."

"Okay... what do you know about Oryx?" I asked.

"He is searching for something," Senka said. "The Keychain for a Keyblade known as 'Hope.'"

"Why are you helping me?" I asked.

"I realized something, something important," Senka said. "Let us leave it at that."

"Okay... but where is this 'Hope,' and why is he searching for it?" I asked.

"Oryx wants to find Hope so that he can preserve his self," she said. "Hope is a special Keychain... crafted from Light itself, it can be used to either lock or unlock hearts."

"Why is a Nobody, something without a heart, searching for something to lock or unlock hearts?" I asked.

"That much, I do not know," Senka replied. "I believe it may be linked to the few memories of his past life he possesses, but I cannot be sure."

"Well... thanks for the info," I said, going back to the shop. I saw a dark flare along the way, and realized she'd killed herself. I kicked the doors to Riku's shop, walking in.

"Why does everyone like kicking my doors down?" Riku grumbled.

"Ah... can it," I muttered. "They're free right now."

"So what did Senka have to say?" Riku asked.

"We have to find a Keychain known as Hope," I said. "If we do, we'll find the Black Knight soon after."

"Keychain? Where do we find that?" Kairi asked.

"No idea... so everyone, move out!" I shouted, making a dramatic pose. Everyone looked at me like I was stupid.

"Eh... sorry. Can't help myself," I chuckled. "Well... let's go anyways."

We all beamed up to our ships, save Roy, who was still passed out on the floor in Riku's shop.


	51. 47: The Chamber of Ages

**Chapter Fourty Seven: The Chamber of Ages**

"Okay... to find a Keychain, where would I go?" I asked.

"Keychains are ALWAYS given to you by other people," Serenity said. "Well... besides one, but that doesn't really count. If I recall correctly... a Keyblade usually starts out as a Kingdom Key, then changes when you slap other Keychains on."

"Okay... but where would a special Keychain be?" I asked.

"Well... the only Keychains that people got not from other people are the Oblivion, Way to the Dawn, and Kairi's keychain," Serenity said. "So... no idea."

I sighed.

"A special Keychain... a special armament for a special weapon... where could it be?" I asked aloud.

We began searching the worlds, but to no avail. Finally we reached Port Royal, and I could feel something... different.

"It must be here... in this world, the one that most closely reflects our home," I muttered.

"How do you know?" Serenity asked skeptically.

"I can't explain it... but it's like there's more light here than ever," I said. "Could it be..."

I heard the familiar clanking noise of the Black Knight's armor. Serenity and I dashed behind a cannon to avoid catching his glimpse, as the Black Knight walked out soon. He stood out, looked over the sea, then walked back to where he came from.

"I need to get Hope before I take him on again," I muttered. "It should give me the strength I need to take him down."

"I thought you were good enough to beat him as you are?" Serenity asked as we stood up.

"I thought so, too... but apparently not," I muttered, looking out over the dark sea. A small tugboat was sailing into the sea.

"Follow him?" Serenity asked.

"No... no way," I said. "We have to look through Port Royal first, then look on the islands at sea."

After scouring the empty town high and low, we found nothing.

"So... search the islands?" she asked.

"Yeah..." I muttered, going to board the Dauntless, which was still in excellent condition. I struggled to learn the controls, but after an hour or two of ramming into rocks and reefs, I got the hang of it. We sailed into the dark horizon, never stopping.

After a day or two of eating stale biscuits, drinking distilled seawater, and generally nothing, we came upon a long island chain. At the end was a stone building floating in the now-still waters. The sky was dusk.

"Could that be... where Hope is?" I asked.

"Maybe... it's not like we've seen anything else as of late," Serenity sighed. We stopped the ship, then jumped out into a lifeboat, paddling over to the stone building. It was sealed by a massive stone slab.

"Hm... a key indentation. This must be..." I muttered. "Maybe... Atlantis? A sacred relic?"

I summoned my Keyblade, then held it up and the stone slab crumbled into the ground. I walked in to the antechamber, tripping on a couple of rocks, then went up to a dais in the center.

The entire floor was covered in a light bit of seawater. The scent was beautiful after spending so much time around the scent of blood in the future.

I looked on top of the dais. On it rested a cross-shaped Keychain with several rays of light coming out of it. I picked it up, and the stone slab reappeared.

"So... how do we get out with this?" I asked.

"Simple," Serenity replied, beaming up to our Gummi Ship.

I stared at the Keychain for a few moments before putting it on my Keyblade. It became white with a cross for the key grooves, and rays of light beaming diagonally back from the grooves.

"The Keychain Oryx was looking for... the divine weapon that can take him down!" I shouted, then beamed up.


	52. 48: Short Circuit

**Chapter Fourty Eight: Short Circuit**

"So... that's Hope," Serenity said, commenting on my new Keyblade. "Pretty sweet."

"Of course," I said, dismissing it. "Now... to deliver my message."

We zoomed over to the Destiny Islands, where Roy was now standing atop a building. He jumped down, then greeted us.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" he asked.

"I have a message for you," I said. "You've forgotten something important."

"Have I now?" he asked. "I can't remember forgetting something important."

_Such a fool..._

"Okay, then I'll go find the one who can confirm that you've forgotten something important," I said indignantly. I beamed back up, then began searching space by myself.

I came upon a deserted, walled city with leaf symbols all around the place.

"So... what is this place?" I asked, then went over to the city gates. I shoved them open, then stared ahead at a long dirt road ahead of me. I walked down it, noticing large footprints already going down the path.

"He must be here... Oryx," I muttered. The path seemed to go along infintely, but I kept walking until nightfall. I made a makeshift hammock between a couple of trees, then snoozed off.

I woke up at dawn, with sunlight warming my face.

_I wish I had some company..._

As I moved up, a blade was held to my throat.

"Hey? What the hell?!" I shouted.

"Ssh..." an unfamiliar voice said. "Stay down. That knight's around here somewhere, and I don't want to alert him."

"Who the hell are you?! I can handle the Black Knight..." I muttered.

"You can't handle the knight," the voice said, "because not even my level 2 Cursed Seal could hurt him."

"That's because only divine weaponry can hurt him," I said. "Now, a name, please?"

"Uchiha. Uchiha Sasuke."

_Sasuke... wonder why he didn't disappear like everyone else?_

"Get offa me," I grunted. "I have no quarrel with you, and I can handle the Black Knight."

He eased off.

"Okay, I need to know where the Black Knight went," I said. "Can you help me track him?"

"Of course. It won't be easy... but the scent of his armor is so strong, I can still smell it," he said. We began walking, though I was sure to be wary of Sasuke. If Amy informed me right, he was driven by vengeance.

"So why are you chasing the Black Knight?" I asked.

"He... is the only person I've seen in weeks," Sasuke said. "I tried to fight him, but even with one of my better skills, I couldn't even scratch his armor."

"His armor is... special," I said.

"What, is it enhanced by chakra?" he asked.

_Chakra?_

"No," I muttered. "I don't know how, but it's impervious to all but this..."

I summoned my Keyblade.

"What's special about that?" Sasuke asked. "Looks like an ornamental piece of junk."

"It's far more potent than you know..." I said.

We continued for a day or so, eventually going on a boat ride to a small island. We passed under a huge bridge, then made landfall.

"He's here. I smell it," Sasuke muttered.

"Okay, then. Let me go from here alone," I said.

"Why? I'm bored and need to get stronger... so when Itachi comes back I can kill him," Sasuke said. "That Knight is stronger than anyone I've ever faced... except maybe Naruto... so he's **MINE**."

"**NO**," I said. "He is important to me... to my friend. So leave this."

I held my Keyblade near his throat, after which Sasuke left.

"Now... to find Oryx."


	53. 49: The Reason I Exist

**Chapter Fourty Nine: The Reason I Exist**

I arrived in a city, then got something to eat. Sasuke and I hadn't found much to eat along the way, and I was kinda hungry.

After taking a nap, and wandering through the misty air, I came upon the bridge Sasuke and I passed under on our way. It was covered in a rolling fog, but even through the fog, I could see the Black Knight's armor. I walked slowly across the bridge, then stood a bit behind the Black Knight.

"Black Knight... Oryx," I said. "By the Light of Hope and in the name of justice, I challenge you!"

A sharp wind blew past us.

"Many years ago, I began to exist," the Black Knight said. "I didn't know who I was, where I was, how I got there, or even have a purpose. I didn't even... have a name."

I looked at him oddly.

"In order to find a purpose, I began to wander across these lands. However, all I found was death and injustice. I could not bear to continue to watch this, but I didn't know what to do," he said. "However, in order to continue existing, I still needed a purpose. This is what I came up with: **I exist to protect all others that would be harmed unjustly**."

The Black Knight turned around.

"Two months ago, I was visited by a black-cloaked man by the name of Xemnas," he said. "He told me he could give me a purpose and a name. I refused to be given another purpose, but the stranger still gave me a name other than 'Black Knight'... he named me Oryx."

Black Knight... was that your name? Only a title...?

"The stranger named Xemnas summoned energy blades and engraved seven scratches on my gauntlet," the Black Knight said. "XIV... Number Fourteen."

"Oryx... I just want to reunite you with your former self," I said.

"My former self... almost all I remember of him is bloodshed and strife," he said. "Though I long to end the feelings of emptiness I have always had, I have no intention of joining a murderer. He is not me; he seeks to destroy, while I seek to protect."

"That's not true," I said to him. "Roy... just doesn't know how to protect without destroying."

"That's not why," the Black Knight said. "Roy... my other self has forgotten something very important, and that's why he can only destroy."

"Something very important?" I asked as the Black Knight began to remove his armor. Underneath was the traditional coat of Organization XIII... and his ice-blue eyes, same as Roy. "I was told once that he had forgotten something very important, as well... but... what is it?"

"A very important promise," he said. "Now, if you intend to take me on, I suggest you summon your Keyblade... Hope."

Oryx pulled out his large purple Keyblade, still left in its sheath, as I summoned Hope.

"I've been looking forward to this since last time," Oryx said with a smirk as another sharp wind blew past us.


	54. 50: End of a Thought

**Chapter Fifty: End of a Thought**

**A/N:** _This chapter also has a musical theme, "_End of a Thought_" from Tales of Symphonia. I do not claim ownership to that song or intend to profit from it in any way. It is, once again, just a bit of omake._

"I'm not gonna hold back this time," Oryx said, gripping his wrist with his spare hand.

"I know... I won't either," I said, pointing Hope at him.

Once more, a sharp wind blew past us.

We mirrored moves, dashing to strike each other. After striking each others' blades, we kept running, then turned around. Oryx was already running at me; no doubt his speed had been increased after shedding that heavy armor.

We moved in, performing breakneck strikes and parries, before jumping back. I charged at him, struck his shins, then blocked an incoming vertical slice. I swept his feet off the ground, then got to my feet as Oryx did the same.

After getting a bit of distance, we began to clash our blades together, crescendoing the force each time. After about a dozen strokes and massive force, we backed off, then charged at each other, attacking in flurries of breakneck speed. I managed to narrowly dodge his last blow, then send him skidding across the bridge. Oryx used his spare hand to slow down, then recovered and charged at me.

I narrowly dodged the strike, then struck back; however, this blow was blocked. I pulled back, then released a wave of light energy along with a stroke. Oryx met the wave and blocked it with his hand.

"I also remember... over the years... I've gained some ability... to control aura," Oryx said. "I'm not as good as my real self, but good enough your energy moves are useless."

"Oh, yeah?!" I shouted, dashing forward and swinging more energy waves at him. He didn't even raise his hand, and the energy waves disippated. I swung, but he countered the blow, sending me skidding back; I recovered quickly and dashed at him as he did the same. We attacked and parried each others' blows for a mintue or two, then locked into a contest of strength.

After a minute, I pushed him back, then attacked Oryx's head. He took the blow, but seemed unhurt. He countered with a knee to the stomach, then punched me and sent me flying. I landed, then charged forward again, narrowly dodging three incoming strokes.

I struck at Oryx again, but was pushed back with a sonic screech.

_I see... he controls sound._

I dashed forward, then struck at Oryx again, clashing blades once more. I knocked his to the ground, then struck him in the side before he could summon his Keyblade back. He blocked the second stroke, then pushed me back with sound. He charged at me, but I blocked the blow, then forced his blade to the ground.

Oryx dashed back, summoning another spiraling sphere, then threw it at me. I knocked it aside, then looked up just in time to block another blow. I knelt down, pushed by Oryx's shear force, then forced it up in a burst of energy, sending out a light energy wave as well. Oryx stumbled back.

"I see... Hope is stronger than I thought," he said, gasping for breath.

"Stronger... than you realized..." I muttered, breathing heavily.

I straightened out, then branished Hope.

_This is only a weapon. Hope... real hope... is our strongest ally._

I dashed at Oryx again, and once more we clashed with ridiculous amounts of strength. After about two dozen clashes, I empowered Hope with light waves, then began to push Oryx back. He skidded, then regained his footing, charging at me.

I knocked him aside, shooting waves of light, and pinned his sword to the ground. He summoned it... his Keyblade... and blocked a stroke of mine.

We clashed again, putting the limits of our strength into the clash, and in the end, I was able to force him back. Oryx looked down, then sheathed his sword.

"No more games," he said. "I will take down anyone who tries to deny me of my purpose!"

Oryx slowly placed his hand on his sword hilt, then...

disappeared.

"What? Where'd he go?" I asked.

**SONIC ARTES!!!**

Sonic screeches rang around me. I instintively put up my Keyblade to block the strokes, and though I was successful for a few hits, eventually I wasn't able to keep up. I took a good many hits, staggered, bleeding, but didn't fall.

Oryx reappeared, exhausted as well.

"Why...? Why... won't you... give up?" he panted.

"I'm protecting... that which I care... about..." I muttered, breathing heavily. "To protect... those dear to me... I have to defeat you... and help Roy... become complete."

"Those... dear to you..." Oryx muttered.

He sheathed his sword.

"I see... your desire to protect those... dear to you is why..." he muttered.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I will... go to see him..." Oryx said. "My other self..."

Oryx turned around, opening a dark corridor, which he entered.

"I guess I am... strong enough..." I muttered.


	55. 50x: The Forgotten Promise

**Chapter 50x: The Forgotten Promise**

_Roy's point of view; battle scene's BGM is "_The Other Promise_," KHII FM+. Don't claim rights to the song_

Sora, Kairi and I were walking toward Ansem's compuer room, where Jason had told us to meet. The sun was in the sky, beaming down on us. I was a bit warm, but it was nothing compared to wandering through deserts wearing my outfit.

We kept walking, but then something odd happened...

The sky seemed to ripple around us, and some heavily-armored Nobodies appeared.

"What's going on?" I asked. The Nobodies got between me, seperating me from Sora and Kairi. I turned around to see a dark portal opening up, and a White Knight stepped through.

The knight pulled out a purple sword with key grooves on the outside.

"A Keyblade?" I asked. The knight charged at me, and I pulled out my Judgment Blade to block it. Then something even wierder happened after a few moments of struggling... in a flash of light, I was drawn into my Station of Awakening.

I landed smoothly, as did the White Knight. He brandished his Keyblade at me, and I got ready.

The Knight charged at me. I blocked the blow, then attempted to use some aural blasts. They didn't even scathe the knight, who attacked me again. I blocked the blow, then used some aura to knock his sword back.

I dashed forward, attacking him in a flurry, but all of my strikes were blocked, and the last parried. I blocked the parry, then jumped back.

I lunged forward, attacking the knight's torso, but my attacks had no effect. The knight hit me in the stomach with the pommel of his sword, knocking me back and knocking the wind out of me. I got up in time to block his incoming strike, then flurried at breakneck speed, though the White Knight countered all of my strokes.

The knight clashed with me in a contest of strength, and even though I forced aura into my Judgment Blade, I was forced back.

He summoned a spiraling sphere of blue aura in his hand... it wasn't perfected, though...

I summoned a spiraling sphere of red aura in my hand, and it was far superior to the knight's.

We threw our spiraling spheres at each other, and though I deflected the knight's, he took mine head-on...

But still wasn't scathed, save for a few small spiral grooves on his breastplate.

We dashed forward, clashing with all of our strength.

"Wh-who are you?" I shouted.

"Someone from the light," he said, jumping back as I did so.

_His aura... it's familiar, but I can't read it..._

"You can't be Jake?" I asked.

"Jake?" the White Knight asked. "... I defeated a Jake once."

"You what?!" I shouted, drawing my fist in.

"Tell me..." the knight said, brandishing his sword. "Tell me why they picked you."

The knight dragged his sword along the ground, and I picked up mine to counter it. We forced each others' blades to the ground, but the knight jumped over me, attempting to strike me along the way. I blocked it, but was sent skidding back. The knight charged at me, and I jumped up, attempting to hit him in the head. He only knocked me further into the air, then jumped up, following.

We attacked and parried in the air for a few moments, but in an attempt to hit his shins, the knight knocked me to the ground. I looked up at him; the White Knight, despite his heavy armor, was still floating.

"I see," the knight said. "That's why."

I raised my sword to counter the knight's next move as he fell to the ground, aggressively attacking me. I nimbly dodged the blows, then put up my sword to engage the knight in another contest of strength. I lost, and the White Knight knocked my sword aside to the edge of the station. I dashed to grab it, but the White Knight stomped down on it, pointing his Keyblade at me.

I curled my fingers a bit, using aura, and wrenched it from under the knight's heavy greave.

"What?!" the White Knight shouted as I pulled my sword up, then struck him with it, shearing his armor in half across the chest. The knight dropped his sword, which disappeared in a flash of purple light, then staggered forward a bit. Before I could catch him, he fell, though I managed to catch him soon after; his helm had come off. He stood up and walked forward a bit.

"You forgot your promise to protect those dear to you... no matter what," the character said. I was then blinded by a flash of light and brought back to the bailey where I'd disappeared.

"I forgot my promise to protect those dear to me... no matter what," I repeated.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"What... just happened?" I asked.

"Well... a few Nobodies showed up, and then you disappeared," Kairi said. "After we beat 'em, you reappeared."

"Wait... wasn't there a knight in white?" I asked.

"No... I didn't see any white knights," Sora said. "Amy... must be getting ready and trying to confuse you."

_He said... he defeated Jake..._

"Well... let's get going," Sora said. He resumed walking, but I hung behind.

I pulled out my Judgment Blade, which was now white.

"Who was that?" I asked again. "I knew his aura, and he said he wasn't Jake..."

A sharp wind blew past me.

"Better get going," I mumbled to myself, setting out behind Sora and Kairi.

**END CHAPTER 50x**


	56. Jason's Epilogue: Momentary Silence

**Jason's Epilogue: Momentary Silence**

"He... went to see his other self," I said to myself, gathering Oryx's divine armor. I held it together with a string, and, with all of my strength, dragged it to the other side of the bridge. I then beamed up to my ship, carrying the heavy armor on my back, and zoomed over to the Radiant Garden, where I'd asked everyone to meet in the computer room.

I beamed down at the postern, then dragged the heavy armor to the computer room. It was ridiculously heavy... I didn't even know how Oryx had managed to move so fast while wearing it.

I dragged the armor behind me, much to everyone's surprise.

"Hey, isn't that..." Riku began.

"The Black Knight's armor?" I finished. "Yeah. I beat him... but he ran away."

"So... what's with the armor?" Sora asked.

"It's my loot," I said. "I'd wear it, but it's awfully heavy... so, I'll just hold onto it until we're done saving the worlds, then sell it and make big bucks!"

"No... I'll take it," Roy said.

"Why's that?" I asked. "This armor's mine! I won it fair and square!"

"I don't know why," he replied. "I just won't let you have it. Besides... it'll be a good way to train."

Roy walked out, snatching the armor and picking it up...

_Wow. He must have gotten... a lot stronger._

"Okay, I have a confession," I said. "I know who the Black Knight was."

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.

"The Black Knight... was Roy's Nobody, Organization's Number XIV," I said. "Oryx."

"That must be why he wanted the armor so badly," Sora said. "There's a part of him that he doesn't want to let go of... Oryx, that is."

_Just... like Roxas..._

"I see. Well... there's only one thing left to do until Amy strikes at last," I said.

"What's that?" Serenity asked.

"We train. We train to get as strong as Roy and Amy... though I'm not sure that's possible, we have to get strong enough to help Roy," I said. "He can't do this alone, no matter what he says."

"Wait... if Roy had a Nobody, then... what happened to him?" Riku asked.

"Dunno... but whatever happened to him, he probably sacrificed some part of himself," I muttered. "Gimme a couple days, and I'll be able to make personalized training campaigns."

_Oryx... must have given his freedom up, at least most of it, to help Roy. To help him protect those dear to him... that's why._


	57. 51: End of the World

**Chapter X1: End of the World**

I slowly walked through the empty streets of Hollow Bastion. My footsteps rang through the silent Bourough, echoing unto infinity. I could almost feel the desolation... the despair of all those that remained.

It had been a few weeks since we had last gathered in Ansem's computer room, and after recieving a summons, I was going back. I had been training in the Black Knight's armor, but it didn't feel heavy any longer...

"They're at the castle..." I muttered to myself. "I guess... that's where we'll decide what to do from here."

I slowly walked forward. The castle loomed. I walked across the slightly battered postern, still damaged from my battle alongside Riku with Larxene. My footsteps rang through the empty halls, but I was soon greeted by the sound of a quiet murmuring. My friends... what few of them were left... had gathered in Ansem's study.

"So... what's left?" I asked everyone. "Charon's... dead. I made sure of that."

"I took out Xehanort," Riku said. "Thanks to Roy, even though he split into his Heartless and Nobody again... it's done."

"The Black Knight... and Senka... are done," Jason said. "Oryx is party of you again, and Senka went and killed herself. So..."

"All that's left..." Sora said.

"Is... Amy," I finished. "So... what to do about her? Unless we take the incentive, something even worse could happen."

"Well, we're out of ideas besides a full-out assault. Only problem is, she's in... the End of the World," Jason said.

"Great..." I sighed.

"I have a little bit of good news, though. You know that disk I found in the ground in the Heatless factory?" Jason asked.

"Yeah... the one Roy and I found lying around," Riku said.

"Well... I decrypted it. I haven't executed its commands, though," he said. "I want everyone to see what's down there with me."

"All right... let's see," I said. He sat down in the chair, then put the disk in. Once the passoword screen came up, he punched a few keys, and it came up with six more passowords. He punched a few more keys, and...

"System Start!" Serenity shouted.

"Calm down," Jason muttered. The disk was spat back out at us.

"Some good that did..." Sora muttered. I walked off into the Heartless factory to see where I'd tossed the disk, but something was different now.

"Guys... come quick!" I shouted. Everyone ran in. "See... that part of the floor's glowing."

I moved to stand on it.

"Wait! There's no telling what'll happen!" Kairi shouted.

"Don't worry. I can handle myself," I said, smiling. I stepped onto the glowing part of the floor, and the area immediatley in front of me shone a blue color. It seperated into two, leaving a dark stairway in front of me.

Everyone gasped.

"Well... let's go," I said after a deep breath. We all stepped down the stairway, though everyone else was a bit behind me. The way down was dark, but lit slightly by strange, pulsing blue and red lights. We turned around to see entrance closing.

"No turning back now," Riku said. We kept going down until we reached a grey door with black and red inserts, slightly rimmed by steel. It opened immediatly once I approached it, revealing a white hallway with numerous doors.

I heard some faint, indistinguishable whispering...

"Does... anyone else hear that?" I asked.

"What?" Jason asked.

"...nothing," I muttered. We began walking forward to the end of the hallway, where we found a door with black chains and the Nobody symbol on it.

The whispering had gotten louder, but I still couldn't understand it.

"Wonder what's behind this door...?" Sora asked.

"That is not for you to know," an alarmingly familiar voice called out. We turned around to see a dark corridor opening up. I shoved my way to the front, where **HE** was waiting for me.

"Jake," I sighed. "I knew this would happen."

He was now wearing an orange coat, as opposed to his earlier blue coat. His eyes, too... they were different, colder. Much like my own...

"You should know. It's your fault... Ike," he mocked me.

"What's behind that door?" I asked again.

"The Room of Sleep... where the voice you're hearing is coming from," he said.

"Voice?" Sora asked.

"Only those that can sense and manipulate aura can hear it, much less open the doors down here. Maybe you should have been a little more inquistive about that, Riku," Jake said smugly. "Unfortunately... you'll never know what's in there. I won't let you."

"Is that why you're here?" I asked. "To stop us from knowing all that you know?"

"Even I don't know what's in that room, nor does Amy. However, she said nobody could know what was in there," he chuckled. "She thinks it's a danger, and refuses to allow anyone to see what's in it. Since you can both sense and manipulate aura, you could go in it... Roy. Regardless, you've got bigger problems to worry about."

"Like what?" Riku asked.

"Kingdom Hearts."

At that, Jake turned tail and fled. I chased after him, along with Sora, Riku, and Jason. We chased him up through the castle and across town, then deep into the crystal fissure, and finally to the Dark Depths. There he stopped fleeing.

"Are you done? You know you can't take us four-on-one," Jason pointed out, summoning his Keyblade. Sora and Riku did the same, and I unsheathed my new, white Judgment Blade.

He flash stepped behind us. We charged at him, but he flash stepped again. Then he made hand seals, tearing open a pocket in space-time. He pulled a broadsword out of it.

"It doesn't matter. All your battles will soon be for naught!" Jake shouted at us, charging forward. He swept at all of our feet, causing all of us to trip.

_He's gotten better..._

We got back on our feet, then charged forward. Using a little aura, I was able to get behind him; everyone soon crossed blades around Jake's neck.

He closed his eyes.

"Impressive. I expected nothing less from the three legendary heroes, not to mention the hitokiri," Jake muttered. "But there's something you should know."

We shifted our swords uneasily.

"Kingdom Hearts has been destroyed. What do you think will happen next...?" he asked, smirking.

_Destroyed...?! Amy... she **DIDN'T...**!!!_

"Let's welcome oblivion."

Jake opened and simultaneousley disappeared into a dark corridor as our blades closed in on him, rending our efforts useless.

"Kingdom Hearts... destroyed?! What's going on?" Sora asked.

"I have a good idea, but first, I need you guys to do something," I said.

"What?" they all asked.

"Hold onto your drawers and don't piss in 'em!" I shouted, gathering aura. "Without Kingdom Hearts, things are about to get a lot more desperate!"

I could feel the aura of everything beginning to tear apart and fade. Using my aura, I teleported us back to the Heartless factory.

"Hurry! Punch in the code!" I shouted at Jason. He quickly did so, and the staircase to the 'Room of Sleep' opened. I dashed down, along with Sora, Riku, and Jason, to find Kairi and Serentiy still waiting.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked.

"Well... its almost over," I muttered, feeling the aura of the place fading fast. I erected an aural barrier just before everything began to disintegrate. The door to the Room of Sleep opened, but I couldn't see what was within it...

It had faded away into blank whiteness.

"What's going on?" Sora asked as I began to strain from the difficulty of keeping the aural barrier up.

"I'm not sure... but it can't be good," I muttered.

_It's gone... without Kingdom Hearts, what's gonna happen to us?_

The area stopped fading. All that was left was a couple of crumbled obelisks and a worn stone path behind me. It was washed slightly by a little water, but something else had my attention.

Jake.

He was just in front of me, his back turned.

His orange coat stood out like a sore thumb against the white and purple sky of the End of the World.

He began running.

"**JAKE!!!**" I shouted as loudly as possible, then began chasing him across the empty void.

He only chuckled as I kept dashing as fast as I possibly could.


	58. 52: Storm of Tears

**Chapter Fifty Two: Storm of Tears**

I chased Jake across the vast expanse of the End of the World, slightly disoriented by the purple sky. I couldn't tell how far I'd come because of the lack of a visible ground. The air was silent, save for Jake's occasional snicker. Eventually I saw some sort of statue rising out of the ground. Another one stood facing it, and a waterfall ran down between them. Upon further inspection, I realized they were... shinobi statues...

Jake kept snickering and running, eventually coming to a rest on the statue opposite where I was. He had his back to me, his orange trenchcoat staying still in the windless air.

"**JAKE!!!**" I shouted at the top of my lungs. He seemed ignorant to my cry, and motioned to take a step forward.

"Are you going to run away from me again?" I asked hoarsely, having a tough time from my maxed-out shout. That seemed to stop him; Jake stopped in mid step, getting back into a standing position. He turned around...

_Why...? Why are you doing this...?_

"Hey... murderous bastard," Jake said. Some of his face was covered in Cursed Seal lightning bolts, and one of his eyes was completely black with the exception of his iris, which was a dark yellow. "I thought you might have figured it out by now, but I've got to go report to Amy."

"Jake..." I muttered.

"I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish, but you may as well turn back," Jake said. "I'm not going to fool around with you. Not after... last time."

I looked down and smiled to myself.

"Even if I hadn't said or done that... you would have hated me anyway," I said. "After all... I did kill everyone close to you."

"You could have saved them if you wanted, or at least left them alone. You're the worst kind of person," Jake said with disgust.

"And that is...?" I asked. A sharp wind began to blow.

"A cold-blooded murderer," he said with finality.

"Sorry," I said, looking up. "But I'm not cold-blooded. You think the murder of billions doesn't weigh on my conscience?"

He stood starkly.

"Well, you're wrong," I said. "Every action I've taken has been to atone for my sins."

It began to drizzle.

"You're such a fool," I said to him. "You've fallen into shadow for no reason... no, it was your rage and lust for power that did that. Sorry, but what I said before I stand by."

"You... you're evil," he said to me.

"Maybe," I said. "But your life is still wretched, and you're still only clinging to life. You're a mindless soldier, running on adrenaline and hatred. That's... the worst kind of existence."

The rain began to torrent, obscuring my view.

"A mindless one..." I muttered, knowing the battle had begun. "I can't believe what a fool I've been"  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through the storm that raged within and outside of my heart, Jake and I walked in a circle on the water. We lunged forward, clashing a few times, before we jumped back. Once more we clashed, but I chased him this time, trying to cleave off his head. Jake jumped back, striking at my abdomen with a thrust. I knocked it aside with my own sword, attacking his left arm. He jumped back.

I shouted with effort as I charged at Jake Sephiroth-style. My attack on his neck failed, and he knocked me back with the pommel of his sword. Jake then attempted to cut my legs, but I jumped over that, trying to bash his head. Jake rolled out of the way, trying to cut me in the back. I swiftly moved my sword to block the attack, then jumped forward and turned around at the same time.

It was hard to see Jake because of the torrents of rain. I barely managed to react to a Chidori from my left, grabbing Jake's wrist at the last moment and throwing him down into the waters below.

"Twilight Release: Great Spiraling Sphere!"

I plunged down into the water, using my Great Spiraling Sphere to part it. Jake stood at the bottom, sword drawn. He attacked me, but I used my spare hand to pull out my sword and block it. Jake then jumped up through the dome of water, while I slammed my Great Sprialing Sphere into the riverbed to launch myself up to the top. I was soon back on top of the river, still being drenched by the torrential downpour.

"I think that's enough of a warm-up!" I shouted to Jake, who had once again disappeared. I saw the white aura of my True Form appear around me, then looked down at my hand. I then looked up. The rain was a little easier to see through, but I still coulnd't really see Jake. Regardless, I now had the upper hand.

I tried to use my other senses... hearing and smell... to track him, but because of the rain, it was impossible. Realizing this, I waited for Jake to make a move. He dashed in from behind me, but I quickly ducked and swept his feet. While he was laying on the water, I tried to impale him through the chest, as he had done to me some time ago. Unfortunately, Jake reacted fast enough to use the flat of his sword to block my attack, but his sword had revieved a big crack in the flat of the blade.

After that, I jumped back while Jake jumped up. We charged at each other, clashing our blades once again. Jake hadn't powered up any more, so I was able to push him back. I then lunged at him with a rapid flurry of slashes and thrusts, but he was somehow able to deflect these blows. Then I stopped, stylishly turned around on the water, and brandished my sword.

_Shinkogan, eh...? Stupid copycat... does he realize that won't be enough to defeat me?_

Jake had disappeared into the torrent again. I closed my eyes, drowning out all of my senses except hearing. It lept exponentially, and now, I could tell loud splashes from quiet ones. Jake's boots splashed loudly against the waters... right... **NOW!!!**

I swiftly turned around to block an attack to my back. Jake had upped his power a little now, and his entire body was covered by my Cursed Seal. He hadn't upped to Level 2 Cursed Seal... not yet... if he even could.

Regardless, our strengths were about equal now. I was in a disadvantageous position; my sword was pointing down, while Jake's blade was horizontal. I jumped back, getting my sword back into my ready stance, while Jake disappeared again into the torrent.

"Stop hiding!" I shouted. Jake then charged at me out of the torrent, letting out a battle cry as he did so. We clashed our blades again, but mine managed to shear some steel from his sword. I then swung high, but Jake ducked to avoid it. He shot something out of his mouth... it was syrupy... then hopped back. I tried to chase him, but...

"Damn! Can't move!" I muttered to myself. The stuff he had shot out was sticking me to the water! Jake then slowly strode up to me, snickering as he did so.

"Do you like my Syrup Catch Field? It'll stop you in your tracks, so now, I can take my time and kill you however I please," Jake chuckled.

"You think... it's over? You saw my Aether Form before, right...?" I asked.

"Yeah, so? No matter how strong you are, strength is useless if you can't fight back!" Jake sneered at me.

"So... in that form, my aura builds to the point of overflowing!" I shouted. "It'll break through this silly move easily!"

I built my aura while Jake kept walking toward me. At first he looked arrogant, but once my aura had broken through his stupid syrup, he was astonished.

"Is that... your Aether Form's full power? If it is, you'll need another form to take me down," Jake said, allowing his entire body to be enveloped by my Cursed Seal. "You'll need your limitless form... the One-Winged Demon!"

_How does he...?_

Jake had taken on a monstrous form. His skin was tinted a dark, dark blue, and some sort of blades... they looked like they were made of bone... poked out of his forearms. His other eye had taken on the demonic look of his already-transformed eye. His teeth had grown a little longer and had become pointed.

"Is that how you plan on beating me?" I asked angrily. "By turning yourself into a monster?!"

"Asthetic quality doesn't matter in combat," Jake said, his voice now slightly distorted. "Now that I'm stronger, it's time to finish this before you decide to become the One-Winged Demon."

"Like I'd be beaten by someone as cocky as you!" I shouted, brandishing my sword.

_He's fallen so far..._

Now that my Aether Form had fully kicked in, the rain obscurity was pretty low. I was able to anticipate Jake's attacks, narrowly dodging slashes from his sword and two arm-blades, though I did take a hit right on the scar he had given me before. It burst open, bleeding a little, but that was nothing. I jumped back and prepared to strike.

It seemed Jake was faster in his new form, though; he came flying up to me, striking at me with all his strength. We were sent into a blaze of attacks and parries, all of which I barely managed to block. I was at a bad disadvantage, though; Jake had three weapons, but I only had one.

I jumped back, dashing at Jake before he could recover. Just as it seemed I was about to stab him in the chest, he disappeared. I then turned around to see him laughing at me.

"What the hell's so funny?" I shouted.

"Did you really think I'd be that easy to beat...?" Jake asked.

"How did you do that?!" I angrily shouted at him. I could feel it; soon, I'd lose my Aether Form.

"See this?" he asked, crouching and pointing down at a small slip of paper adrift in the waters. "It's a Flying Thunder God tag. I can teleport to its location."

"Tricky... I don't think I've ever fought a teleporter," I sneered.

"Well... more appropriately, you've never fought someone with ninja skills," he said.

"Where do you think I learned the Spiraling Sphere?" I asked him, but then my Aether Form failed.

I was standing in zero visibility, still being drenched by the torrential downpour.

_Of all the times to fail, why **now?!**_

I could scarcely turn before Jake's hand was stuck through my chest, and I heard the flapping sound of a thousand birds taking flight...

"Pretty... tricky..." I gasped, coughing up blood onto his arm.

"A true warrior fights with all his heart, 'brother'..." Jake sneered, putting emphasis on his last word. "You've been holding back... and this is the result."

I coughed up a little more blood.

"To be honest, I WANTED to see your One-Winged Demon..." he said, still sneering, "but you dying without using it is just as good to me."

"So... you think... koff... I'm finished?" I asked, using what little strength I had to grab his arm. "You... koff... you've got a lot to... koff... to learn about... koff... demons!"

Using what little life force I had left, I released my otherworldly powers. I felt life flowing back into me, and I was able to grip Jake's arm more tightly. Moments later, as Jake looked on in astonishment, I threw him backwards by the arm, pulling it out of my stomach as I did so. I felt my energies increase to the breaking point, which itself was soon broken.

"You're not human... that isn't even a One-Winged Demon!" Jake shouted, staring on. "That's a... a complete demon!"

_Now that he mentions it, this time feels different_, I thought.

_This... this isn't my One-Winged Demon form! What is this...? How's that possible?!_

"That's not right! You're supposed to have a white demon wing coming out of your right shoulder!" Jake shouted. "It isn't supposed to play out this way!"

"See, that's why I don't plan things out..." I said, hearing a distortion in my voice. "Plans usually go awry!"

_I don't know where this extra power came from... but I have to use it!_

I clenched my other fist, then charged at Jake with my sword in Sephiroth's pose. I seemed to fly across the water, parting it and causing waves to crash against the statues. My new form had also completely taken away the obscuring effect of the constant, torrential downpour. Jake barely managed to dodge the move.

"I will not fall!" I shouted, pushing my sword down into his shoulder. It went about halfway through his left shoulder before he released some chakra to stop it. My blade was thrown out, but I stuck him in the stomach. I then jumped back.

"You're more monstrous than me now," Jake said, gasping a little.

"I wouldn't say that," I replied.

We dashed at each other again, furiously attacking and parrying each other's blows. I jumped back and made some hand seals.

"Lightning Blade!"

Red aura surrounded my hand, crackling. The unhealed wound on my hand burst open, leaking blood into the aura. It stained the inside of the Lightning Blade with my blood, some of which was constantly evaporating, filling the air with the scent of blood.

I charged at Jake, blazing across the water at supersonic speeds. Jake managed to sidestep, and my attack hit the wall behind the waterfall. I recovered fast enough, dashing back out to attack Jake. He parried my blow, attacking me back, but I dodged it. I then went for his left shoulder again, but was knocked aside by Jake's sword. Jake stuck me in the stomach, but it didn't seem to hurt at all. I grabbed his sword, breaking it along the fracture I'd made earlier.

The sword shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Jake jumped back, making hand seals. I jumped up and was just about to cleave Jake in two when someone shouted something...

"Stop! That's **ENOUGH!**" A distantly familiar woman shouted. It wasn't Amy... or Serenity... or Kairi...

_Who is that? I think I've seen her a couple times before..._

"Aegle...? Is that you?" Jake asked, stepping forward. He then jumped up onto the head of one of the distant shinobi statues. I had no hand in this matter, so I jumped atop the head of the other statue. I could see and hear them perfectly thanks to my new form.

Jake had dropped his Level 2 Cursed Seal form.

I doubt he'll be able to pull out that form again... using aura, or chakra, for that matter, at that level is pretty exhaustive...

"Aegle... how did you..." Jake asked. He was at a loss for words.

"It doesn't matter. We're together again," Aegle said softly.

"Aegle... I..." Jake said, quivering.

"Charon couldn't control Illumina," Aegle told him. "That's why I didn't die. None of that matters now. We have... each other..."

"I can't... I've fallen too far..." Jake said. He seemed to be struggling with himself. Now was the time to intervene. I jumped over, landing next to Aegle. She cringed at my form, but that was to be expected.

"Wh... what are you?" Aegle asked, quivering in fear.

"Let's just say you know me," I said simply. Jake groaned, holding his head.

"Jake! What's wrong?" Aegle asked him. She seemed genuinely concerned.

"He's struggling inside," I told her. "The light, what little fragment of it remains, is fighting his deep darkness. Whichever wins... the result will be forever. But if you push him too far, he'll snap."

"He's fighting inside... just like Riku did..." Aegle said.

_Yeah, he's definitly struggling. I'd know..._

Jake simply stood there, holding his head and groaning, while Aegle and I looked on. Eventually he let his head go, and let his arms and head hang limp.

"Jake...?" Aegle asked cautiously.

Jake lifted his head up and back, only to laugh maniacally. He let it down.

"So, you thought an illusion would break my resolve, Roy?" Jake asked me.

"An... illusion? Jake, I'm right here!" Aegle shouted, holding her arms open. "It's me!"

"Shut up. You're not even real," Jake said to her coldly. "I saw Aegle die. I don't know if you're a spirit or an illusion, but either way, you're not real."

"Very well, then... you leave me no choice," I said with a steely resolve. I began making hand seals.

"I won't go down so easily! I'll show you my mind isn't that weak!" Jake shouted, pulling out his broken sword. He stabbed it into Aegle's heart.

The last thing I remember about her was that a single tear ran down her cheek, though it was difficult to tell if she really cried because of the torrential downpour.

"Inferno Tempest!"

I held out both of my hands, which spewed forth flames at least as hot as the sun. Jake screamed as he was immolated in a matter of seconds. Then I heard laughing again...

"Did you forget?" Jake asked. I turned around to see him standing on the opposite statue again.

_Damn seal..._

"Now, I'll show you how far I'm willing to go to defeat you... demon," Jake muttered. I could feel his chakra beginning to skyrocket...

_He's... releasing the Inner Gates!_

Chakra began to surge around him...

"This is how far... I'm willing to go!" Jake shouted. His chakra surged even more...

_Don't tell me... the Eighth Gate?! Will he go that far? Can even I handle someone at that level as I am now?!?_

After two more immense chakra bursts, I knew... because I could barely stand in the presence of such overflowing aura...

_He's killed himself in an attempt to kill me._

I couldn't move, think, or even blink before I was shot into the air. He began to beat me with impossible to see strikes, even though I was flash stepping to try and avoid what I could.

Not even flash steps allowed me to dodge his blows.

Before I fell to the water, I had been striken at least a dozen dozen times, stabbed numerous times with his broken sword, and had several of my bones completely shattered. Regardless of the pain, I staggered to my feet only to see Jake's body, still overflowing with chakra, fall into the now-still waters.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't save you. I know I promised to protect those that are dear to me... but I failed," I said, dropping my new form. I began to hobble off, nearly unable to stand the pain... both the excruciating pain of my body... and the unbearable pain in my heart...

**MORE ON ROY'S 'HOLY DEMON FORM'**  
_-------------------------------------------------------------_  
An enhanced version of Roy's One-Winged Demon made complete by his merging with Oryx. While the amount of energy Roy has available in these Hi-Forms is unlimited, there is still a limit to the amount that can be released at any given time. This form, in comparison to his One-Winged Demon form, has a doubled release limit.

**MORE ON JAKE'S 'LEVEL 2 CURSED SEAL'**  
_-----------------------------------------------------------------_  
Jake's Cursed Seal of Lightning (Rai no Juin), possessed a second level like all other Cursed Seals. It caused Jake's skin to turn deep blue, bone blades to grow out of his forearms (attached by two small bones), and his teeth to become sharp, in addition to the characteristic black eyes and yellow irises.


	59. 53: Zanarkand

**Chapter Fifty Three: Zanarkand**

I kept limping across the endless void of the End of the World until I came upon the semblance of a city that we had appeared in. I recognized it now that I had some time to think about it... I'd just rushed off after Jake as soon as we got here.

"Zanarkand..." I muttered to myself. "This could only be... Zanarkand..."

A long pathway leading to a huge dome stood before me. The path itself was half sunk in water, and was in ruin along with various pieces scattering the landscape. A few pyrefiles swarmed about; no doubt they were the last remaining fragments of light apart from Sora, Riku, Kairi, Jason, Serenity, and... me...

I staggered across the long path, using what little strength I still had to fend off some of the strongest Heartless I'd ever fought. Even so, that long, solo trudge gave me time to reflect on everything that had happened across the past six years. My head felt light and my heart felt heavy as I kept limping down the path, but I felt calm... at peace.

_I used to feel that way all the time. What happened to me...?_

My vision was hazy and out of focus when I finally reached the dome, where everyone was waiting. They all ran up to catch me just before I lost consciousness...

I came to at the same place. The sky was bleach white, with the only thing coloring the horizon being the dark dome. Everyone was sitting on the stairs into the dome, but I was laying on the ground a few yards away. I staggered to my feet, using my sword to help a little, before limping over to them.

"Finally awake, eh, Roy?" Jason asked. "For a while, there, we thought you were dead."

"Well..." I said, still feeling a little sore, "I'm tough, not invincible. Everyone has an Achilles Heel."

"So what's yours?" Sora asked.

I didn't answer.

"So, who was that guy we fought... the one you chased?" Jason asked. "He must have been important... you totally ignored everything else when we got here."

"He... he was..." I said slowly, before taking on a grave tone. "He was my brother."

"**WHAT?!**" everyone said in unison.

"Yeah..." I said, hanging my head. Several angry outbursts from everyone ensued, but they didn't understand... they could never understand...

They calmed down eventually.

"Look... guys..." I said slowly and with the same grave tone, "he had fallen to the darkness. He even lost the inner struggle against his inner darkness, and killed the person that he held dearest. What other choice did I have...?"

"You could have let us help him," Serenity chided me. "I'm sure... with all of us..."

I shook my head.

"When someone loses their inner struggle, it's over," I explained. "It's like what happened to Riku. Xehanort had taken over his body, but Riku grappled with his inner darkness... and overcame it. Jake... he couldn't do that, and he didn't want to be saved, anyways."

"I'm a Princess of Heart," Kairi said. "If I can't do it, nobody can."

"Trust me... that power would not have been enough. Maybe if we had all seven Princesses of Heart, his heart could have been be purified, but..." I said. "It's too late. We have to look forward... there's only one thing left to do."

"Amy..." Riku said, rising slowly off the steps. "She's the one we need to beat."

"Why?" Kairi asked.

"She's absorbed Kingdom Hearts... or, at least, its darkness. As a result, there's no light flowing out of it, and you can see the result," I explained. "If we can free Kingdom Hearts... if we beat Amy..."

"The light will start flowing again, and the worlds will be restored," Sora said.

"But then... what'll happen to us?" Jason asked.

"We'll go back to wherever we came from. We'll go home," Riku said. "It's like before; if we want to, we'll automatically reappear at our own home. We won't be able to see each other anymore, but..."

An eerie silence pervaded the area.

"So, then, what is this place?" Kairi asked. "It's in ruins. Why is this place here and nowhere else is around?"

"There are a few landmarks," I said. "I saw a couple of statues when I fought Jake. I think the entire world doesn't completely fade away... there's just a tiny fragment of it left when it gets sent here."

"What world's fragment is this?" Sora asked.

"Auron's homeworld. Spira."

"Auron?" Sora asked incredulously. "Auron's from this world... Spira?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "This was his final destination... it's the place he died."

"What's inside?" Sora asked. They all stepped back to gaze upon the huge dome.

"Our last sanctum. Everywhere else is filled to the point of overflowing with darkness," I said.

"Well... let's go," Sora said, going in through the ruined door. Everyone went in, but I trailed behind. I was having a hard time rationalizing my murder of my own brother... even if it was necessary.

The inside was just as I thought it would be; terribly decrepid, with ruined pieces of pathways leading in winding paths down to the inner dome, and pyreflies floating around everywhere. I was still conflicted when we reached Zaon's Chamber of the Fayth.

"What's this?" Kairi asked.

"A fayth," I said. "It's what allowed summoners from Spira to summon special creatures."

"Like Simba... and Stitch... and Bambi?" Sora asked.

"You could say that," I muttered.

_They're even similar in concept... hearts and pyreflies... fayth and summon gems..._

"Let's press on," I said.

"Something's troubling you," Jason said, but left it at that. We kept going, eventually reaching the Great Hall. It was a lot brigher than normal, but was still in ruins.

_At least the banners are still red..._

"So, here we are. Our sanctum... one of the last places that still has some fragment of light," Jason muttered, sitting down on the steps. "Now what?"

"Why don't we rest for a day or two, then we'll tackle Amy?" Serenity asked.

Everyone agreed. I agreed first, since I was still exhausted and suffering from grievous wounds.

"I'm gonna go mediatate," I said, walking up the stairs to the starry, ethereal room. "I'm gonna sleep in there too, so nobody bother me."

"Yeah, yeah..." Riku said, waving his hand as I went through the door. The inside was just how I expected it to be: there was no ceiling, the sky was dark and starry, and what structure there was was in ruin.

"I don't get paid enough..." I joked, chuckling at myself. I staggered a bit, eyes drooping, before I collapsed from exhaustion...


	60. 54: Last Battle Will

**Chapter Fifty Four: Last Battle -Will-**

_This is it. Judgment Day. Everything ends here. If we can't stop her now, then everything will be finished. I don't even know how we're supposed to beat her... Amy's... too strong. With the infinite darkness, not even my upgraded One-Winged Demon could match her now. What hope do we have? Why don't I stop fighting?_

I opened my eyes, looking into the ruined room. I then stood up, picking up my Judgment Blade, which had been resting in my lap.

It had been a few days, and with my aura I'd been able to heal even the grievous wounds I had recieved in Jake's last-ditch effort to kill me.

"Maybe I don't want to give in to my pain, my anger, and all of my sorrow," I said, turning around. I walked back through the door into the bright, white room where everyone was waiting.

"So, was five days enough, Roy?" Serenity asked, exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "So I needed a little rest. I didn't just do it for me, anyway... our last battle is ahead, and we all need a strong will to resist the darkness that'll tempt us along the way."

"I suppose so," she said.

"Well, shall we get going?" Jason asked, already at the steps to the Chamber of the Fayth. "The sooner we set out, the sooner it'll be over."

"I guess..." I muttered. "All right! Let's end this!"

I pointed toward the door. Everyone looked at me like I was stupid.

"What?" I asked.

"Stop ordering us around. We know what we have to do," Sora said, a little annoyed.

"I suppose you're right..." I muttered. "I just love making dramatic speeches and poses, that's all."

"Well, the time for speeches and poses is over," Riku said. "It's time to finish this fight... once and for all."

"Right," everyone said, including myself. We set out through the door to the outside of the dome, staying silent the entire way.

With these two blades... my own sword and her old sword... I'll end this.

As we passed the end of Zanarkand and crossed into the infinite purple and white abyss, everyone became uneasy; I could tell because everybody fidgeted as we kept going. Even I doubted myself.

_Can I really do this...? Kill the person dearest to me...? I thought I'm supposed to protect those dearest to me..._

"You guys..." Serenity finally said. "I... I don't think I can do this. I still have a lot to live for. I... I don't wanna die."

"None of us want to die," Jason told her, "but we can't give up. I'm afraid, too... but I have to keep going. It's what I must do with the power entrusted to me."

Jason summoned his Keyblade.

"I can't turn back now. Not after what's happened to us. Not after she stole Kingdom Hearts," Jake said with a brave tone in his voice.

We kept going across the purple and white void. I was still doubting myself... but I kept going anyways.

"Sora... I'm scared..." Kairi cried.

"Why's that?" he asked her.

"We can't just go and defeat Amy. That won't solve a thing," Kairi whimpered. "We'd have to defeat the darkness itself to end this for good. We can't beat the darkness, though. This fight will never be over."

"Don't sound so hopeless," Sora said, hugging her. "We can beat anything that comes our way. We've got three Keyblades and a One-Winged Demon to help us. There's no way we can lose."

"But it still won't be over. It'll never be over. It's just an endless cycle..." Kariri went on.

Sora summoned his Keyblade.

"We'll finish it," he said with resolve.

We kept going. The dreary, depressing purple and white sky was starting to get annoying.

"Guys..." I said, stopping in my tracks. "Can we really do this?"

Everyone stopped and turned around.

"What...?" Riku asked me.

"I've been fighting for six years. Six years of strife. But I... I don't know if this is the right thing to do," I muttered.

"Roy... you can't give up. None of us can," Sora said.

"Why? It's all pointless! We can't ever destroy the darkness... and without destroying it, this will happen all over again!" I shouted.

"Don't give in to your doubt. Not after you've come so far," Serenity said.

"But... I can't... not even a One-Winged Demon... or rather, a complete demon of light can match the infinite darkness," I said, hanging my head.

"Power doesn't matter now," Riku told me.

"It... doesn't matter?" I asked.

_I thought power was the ultimate authority here..._

"No," Kairi told me. "If your heart is strong enough..."

"If your will is strong enough..."

"You can overcome her," Jason said.

"You guys..." I muttered. "It's... not that simple. I'm the cause of all of this... everything that's happened... everything... is my fault. I can't just go and cut down my problems."

"That's right. You've got to face this thing head on," Sora said. "I know what it's like to face your inner darkness... what it's like to face your corrupted friends. I know how hard it was for you to fight your brother... but you can't give up. Not now. I've seen how far you've come... and you're strong. Stronger than this!"

"You can't give up like I did, Roy," Riku said. "I gave in to the darkness because I didn't want to believe Sora. I wanted to find Kairi so bad, I was willing to throw everthing away. That... was a mistake. My will was weak. My heart was weak."

"Your heart's strong. You've come this far... you've faced your inner darkness. You can't give up. We're going to restore everything to how it's supposed to be. That's our goal," Jason said.

"I know you've been through a lot. You're stronger than a human should be... and you've got Illumina, or at least a fragment of it. You're the best swordsman I've ever seen... and after four years in the Radiant Garden, that's saying something," Serenity told me.

"I don't know how or why you still fight. You're you, and that's all that matters," Kairi said. "You haven't given in to your darkness. You're strong. Your heart's strong. Your will's strong. You can do it!"

"Guys..." I muttered.

_I can't doubt myself. My heart's stronger than this! There's something about this place that drains our will to go forward!_

"Let's do this!" I shouted. I dashed forward, crossing some sort of barrier into our final destination...


	61. 55: Last Battle Decision

**Chapter Fifty Five: Last Battle -Decision-**

The other side of the invisible barrier was nothing like I'd expected. Before me stood a huge, black castle, with many towers holding spiked tops. The sky was different, too... as opposed to the seemingly endless void I'd just left behind, the ground was solid, black dirt, and a full, red moon shone in the dark sky.

"Amy built all this... in five days?" I asked myself as the rest of my party went through the invisible barrier. "I see... she used the darkness."

"So... this is where the endgame takes place," Jason muttered. "Kinda dreary if you ask me."

"That red moon's freaky," Riku said. "It's really something. Even Xehanort couldn't build something of this scope in such short a time."

"It's like the apocalypse," Sora said slowly.

"The apocalypse already happened, stupid!" I said, bonking him on the head. Sora 'ow'ed, but otherwise made no mind to it.

"So... what we have to do is in there, huh?" Serenity asked. "I don't wanna go... but I have to. To prove I'm just as strong as you guys, both in body and in spirit!"

"We'll have to finish it. It's our only hope; to beat Amy and free Kingdom Hearts! We... have to!" Kairi shouted.

"Come on, guys. We're going to restore the True Light!" I shouted, charging into the door. Of course, I made sure to kick it down in typical badass fashion. The inside wasn't too different. A few crystal lamps lit up the place, and a stairway leading up to a large, grandiose door stood at the top.

I went up to open the door, but it was locked.

"What's with that? You just bust in here without anyone else?" Jason asked, slowly stepping in. "You're too reckless. Calm down."

"This door's locked," I said quickly. "We'll need something to open it... the keys. I think there are two... there are only two paths off to the side. The keys we need are no doubt along those paths."

"Then... let's go," Riku said. Our entourage set out along the left path. A few superpowered Heartless interfered, but our resolve was too strong; we wouldn't give up now. Along the winding pathways of the castle, we found a lot of rooms. Rooms with all kinds of cool crap and a ton of books that would no doubt amaze any scholar. We finally found some special chest at the top of the tower. It was made of stone.

"This must have one of the keys. I'll open it," I said, kneeling in front of the chest. "Get ready."

I opened the chest and I was sent into another realm. Everything was dark. I looked around for someone... anyone. There stood a familiar face...

"Senka," I said with a bit of disgust. "What trick is this?"

"This is no trick. You've been thrown into the darkness to fight for the Dark Stone," Senka said. "It's one of the keys to get to Amy's inner sanctum. If you want it, you'll have to fight me."

"Why?" I asked.

"That's the way it has to be," she shrugged. "I don't want to fight, either, but..."

"Senka."

"What?"

"We don't have to fight. Unless there's some sort of death seal on this realm, fighting would do nothing," I said. "Look. I know you want to atone for everything you've done. I would too. If you just give me that Dark Stone, this can end peacefully... without more bloodshed."

"But there is a death seal. Only one of us can leave here," Senka said sorrowfully. "If I die, you leave with the Dark Stone. If you die, I leave with it."

"Okay," I said, using my Demon Form. "I'll make this quick!"

A single deft stroke, and Senka was erased without a single sound.

I reappeared in the same room, reverted to my normal form and kneeling in front of the chest, which was now open. A dark-stoned tablet sat in it, and etched on that tablet were silver letters.

"What are you waiting for?" Kairi asked.

"Uh... sorry, I blanked out for a second," I lied, taking the tablet.

"What's it say?" Sora asked.

"It says 'What lies in the darkness is the sin of your past. What rests in the twilight is your heart. In the light drifts the divine judgment,'" I read.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Jason asked.

"... I don't know. But it is one of the two keystones we need, so I'll just carry it with me," I muttered, going back down the stairs. I tucked it into my coat as we kept forging ahead, crossing an archway to get to the other side. It saved time, so...

We forced our way to the top of another tower, fighting super-powered Heartless along the way. This chest was white, and when I went to open it, I found myself once again in another realm. This one was snow white, posessing no spatial dimensions like before. There was someone there, though...

"Chaon," I said gravely. He was there... my first true enemy. He seemed lost, though...

"Is that you... Dark Boy? You've gotten stronger," he said, stumbling around.

_Is he blind?_

"What's wrong? Can't face the light?" I asked him.

"No... I was just blind. I wasn't fighting for the light..." he said, still stumbling about. "The True Light... it was never my goal. I was nothing more than a puppet of the darkness. My entire reason was to purify the land so that the darkness could simply destroy it."

"It's... Charon, I..." I started.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I would have done the same thing," he said. "Well, I suppose you're here for the Light Stone?"

"...yeah," I said.

"You know one of us has to die," he said. "So take your sword of judgment and drive it through my foul heart. It won't hurt... seeing as I don't have a soul."

"I promise I'll make this quick," I said, using my Demon Form again. I blazed and drove my sword through his heart, instantly killing him. A bright flash of light left me in the room again, kneeling before the open white chest. Inside, like I'd expected, was a white stone tablet with words writ in ebon on it.

"What are you waiting for?" Serenity asked. "Take it!"

I took it, dusting off the apparently ancient stone tablet before trying to read it.

"It says: 'In your body is the shadow of doubt. Stir the courage in your soul. Awaken the power of your heart.' These stupid tablets are so confusing..." I muttered.

"Well, we've got the two keystones. Let's go back to the entrance room," Sora said, making a bolt for the door. We all followed, slaying the Heartless that bothered us. We made it down, where the two keystones floated out of my hands and up by the door. They disappeared, leaving the door open.

"Well... here's our last battle. Is everyone ready?" I asked.

"I'm not going to falter... never again," Jason said.

"I've been hiding from the darkness for so long... I have to fight now, for myself," Serenity said.

"It's not like there's anything else to do now," Kairi said. "This is our ultimate fate. I'm ready for anything."

"I've faced my inner darkness and prevailed," Riku said. "We need to give Amy something: salvation."

"It's like I've said so many times..." Sora muttered, "no matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within."

"Come on! We're going to restore the True Light!" I shouted, turning around and running into the dark abyss...


	62. 56: A Toccata into Blood Soaked Darkness

**Chapter Fifty Six: A Toccata into Blood-Soaked Darkness**

The first thing I noticed about Amy's inner sanctum was the stench. The floor seemed wet too... because when I stepped in, I was up to my ankles in some liquid. I didn't want to know what it was, though...

I could faintly see a two long rows of obelisks with gaps in between them. At the end, I could faintly see two lit torches, and the one who had started all of this...

"Amy..." I muttered.

"Ew! What the hell is this stuff?" Sereinity asked, shuffling into the dark sanctum. Everyone else followed, and everyone else put up protests to the stench. It was a familiar stench... something I'd smelled fairly recently, but I just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Let's go," I said, stepping forward. We all shuffled through the noxious liquid until we were at the base of Amy's throne. She was looking down, but lifted her head when we approached.

"So, Roy... we meet again," she said. " How do you like my sanctum? I modeled it after your soul... but I expected you to be alone. I suppose I've always underestimated your destiny shifting powers, though."

"It wasn't Roy's powers that saved us!" Sora shouted, summoning his Keyblade. "It was our hearts!"

"Your hearts... right..." Amy said doubtfully. "Regardless, I'm afraid all your efforts have been for naught. You have no hope of defeating me, and even if you did, there's no light left."

"The light... we'll make new light!" Riku shouted, summoning his Keyblade. "Not only will the new light save everything, we're going to restore the True Light!"

"Ah, yes... the True Light," Amy sneered. "That fading glimmer of hope is gone. You have no way of restoring the True Light without Kingdom Hearts, which I destroyed!"

Amy tilted her head back and cackled evilly.

"What's so funny?" Serenity asked. "You're the insane psychopath! We'll save the light! As long as some piece of it's left, we can restore the True Light!"

"That's right!" Kairi said. "We've come this far. We've strengthened our wills and made tough decisions. We can defeat you... rather, the darkness you represent!"

"Well... if you have any hope of defeating the darkness, you'll need the help of a self-doubting killer!" Amy shouted, standing up and pointing at me. "Do you know what you're standing in, Roy?"

"Blood..." I said, looking down.

Everyone else gasped.

"That's right. This is the blood of everyone you've ever killed. Can you all face me, knowing the scope of Roy's sins... can you yourself face me, Roy?" Amy asked fiendishly.

"You guys..." I said, looking up at Amy, "leave. Now."

"Roy! You can't take her on alone!" Riku said.

"This... is my fight. It's against my inner darkness..." I muttered, transforming into my Demon Form, "so leave before you get hurt. I'm sure this won't be a short fight... you'll get to fight later. I promise."

"Roy... you're..." Serenity stuttered.

"Ah, yes... the result of a being becoming complete," Amy said. "You're a full demon now..."

"What are you waiting for? Go!" I shouted. Everyone dashed for the door, wading through the sea of blood and closed the door behind them.

"So... it's just you and me, demon," Amy taunted.

"Shut up, Akuma. You're more a demon than I am," I said, brandishing my Judgment Blade.

"So I am," she said, pulling out her katana. "Well... shall we?"

I furrowed my brow, blocking a lightning swift stroke from Amy. I returned with a thrust to her stomach, which went through. Amy simply jumped back, and in the blink of an eye, the damage was repaired.

"You see...? No mortal wound can kill me. I have the power of the infinite darkness!" Amy shouted.

I blazed at her again, blocking and parrying all the blows she threw at me. I was knocked back into the sea of blood, but threw an aura sphere off of my sword at her, crumbling a couple of the obelisks on its way and rippling the blood sea. I landed, skidding, and used one of my hands to slow down. Looking up, I was immediatley forced to block and parry blows from Amy, seemingly unharmed from my aura sphere.

I moved at high speeds, blocking as fast as I could. Even transformed into a demon, Amy was ridiculously fast, and almost stronger than I could handle. We clashed our blades as we jumped up, down, and across the obelisks, each time releasing so much force the blood sea beneath us parted for a moment. I eventually started throwing aura waves at her, crumbling a few of the obelisks. We came to a stop atop the crags.

"Why? I still don't get it... why do you fight a hopeless battle?" Amy asked me.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "If anything, I'm fighting to atone for my sins. If someone like me is seeking atonement, maybe our fight isn't so hopeless!"

"You may as well give in to the darkness," Amy taunted. "Your defiant stance is a wasted effort."

"Sh... shut up!"

I blazed across the air at supersonic speeds, clashing blades with Amy. A huge burst of energy parted the blood sea beneath me, and I then used the power of my Demon form to flash step behind Amy. Just when it seemed I was about to impale her again, a wall of solid darkness appeared just in front of my sword. I jumped back onto a ruined obelisk.

"Didn't you know the darkness works like an auto guard for me?" Amy asked without turning around.

_So, I guess I'll have to use it..._

_Illumina..._

I split Illumina from my Judgment Blade, leaving behind my Phoenix Sword and Illumina. Fortunately, my hand wraps stopped it from touching me.

_Even if I did get touched by Illumina, I think my soul's pure like this..._

I blazed over to her, making several lightning-swift strokes. Either her blade or the darkness rose to protect her, but I had one last trick up my sleeve: an aura chain.

Using Illumina, the Sacred Sword of Light, I unleashed a continuous blast of aura waves that chained together. Not only did the holy energy burn through Amy's auto guard, but it sliced her sword to ribbons, and her along with it.

Amy's body fell into the blood sea in huge chunks as I recombined my two swords into the Judgment Blade. I sheathed it, even though I knew this battle was far from over. This... was only the beginning.

Seconds later, a huge spire of darkness flowed out of the blood sea; darkness so thick even my Demon Form enhanced vision couldn't pierce it. I braced myself as the darkness swallowed me...


	63. 57: Everything into the Dark

**Chapter Fifty Seven: Everything into the Dark**

I opened my eyes after the dark wave flowed toward me. Amy's castle was in ruins, but she herself was still there.

_My friends will help me! Our light will illuminate this pitch-black void!_

Everyone ran up to me.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Sora asked.

"Amy's getting desperate," I muttered. "She sees our light is stronger than the infinite darkness."

"So... what now?" he asked.

Amy laughed maniacally, then warped over to us.

"Now... you will be consumed by the endless void!" she shouted, raising her right arm. A swirling vortex appeared behind her, consuming all the rubble. The strong winds began to pull us in.

"Now die!" Amy shouted, and the wind picked up. I could feel my feet slipping...

"We'll never die! Not as long as a glimmer of light exists!" I shouted, throwing my arms out. I used my aura to create a pink dome barrier, which was shielding us from the void.

_It takes... a lot of aura. Fortunately, my aura is unlimited... but it also takes a lot of stamina..._

"Guys! I won't be able to keep this up for very long. There's only one way you guys can stand winds of this magnitude!" I yelled at them.

"Right!" Sora said. A flash of light later, and everyone but Riku and Sora had disappeared. Riku looked like he was in his Dark Form... with the funny clothes and all. Sora... seemed different...

His clothes were like his old clothes... the clothes he wore on his first quest, but golden...

I couldn't keep the barrier up any longer, but now that we were all at our maximum strength...

The pink barrier dissolved, leaving me braced to keep my footing.

"You guys know what to do!" I shouted, barely audible over the ripping winds. We all dashed out, attemting a simple slice with our swords. Sora and Riku's hits were blocked by barriers of darkness, knocking them back. I missed entirely, not taking the wind into account, and nearly fell into the void. It took a massive outburst of aura to stop me from falling into the abyss, and I rocketed forward.

I managed to get a couple of shallow slices in, but nothing major. I skidded, landing by Sora.

"It's not enough! We can't beat her like this!" Sora yelled over the razor winds.

"No... we can!" I shouted. "There's something we're doing wrong, though..."

I dashed at Amy again, who had now turned on a sort of darkness perma-guard. Even though I diffused my Judgment Blade into its component parts, furiously attacking, fusing, attacking, and diffusing, nothing got through. Neither did Riku's lightning-fast flurry of strokes, and Sora's power hits didn't fare any better. We landed near the void, using all of our energy to keep from being sucked in.

"We have to fight with our hearts!" I shouted, springing forward with a massive burst of aura. I put some of my spirit... my heart... into that stroke. It broke through the dark perma-guard, cutting off one of Amy's fingers. She howled, getting a dangerous look in her eyes...

"I was going to wait for the void to consume you, but it looks like it won't be that easy!" Amy shouted. "Now... time to die!"

I could feel darkness welling up under me. I barely managed to dash to the side before a massive flare of darkness erupted, nearly erasing the ground beneath it. I looked up at Amy. There was something different about her now...

_She's given herself over to the darkness. Now we're fighting a mindless puppet._

I dashed from side to side, narrowly dodging dark flares. I eventually got close enough to do a diving aerial slash, but Amy... no, the akuma... blocked it with her bare hands.

"What...?" I gasped. "Damn you!"

The akuma threw me back, but I managed to skid to a stop before being thrown into the void. I couldn't see where Riku and Sora were now, but I spotted them a second later.

I smirked to myself.

I dashed forward again, once again dodging disintegrating dark flares. Just before I jumped up for the diving aerial slash, Sora and Riku grabbed her arms, holding the akuma back while I dove straight down on her. The akuma was cleaved in two, but disintegrated into glimmers of darkness.

"Is it over?" Riku asked.

"No... not yet," I muttered as the ground beneath us suddenly disappeared, as did the void. After a few seconds, a bright flash of light shone in front of us. Someone... or something... appeared in front of us. It was entirely wrapped in darkness, but the darkness was odd... it was like a flame.

I am the darkness. The True Light shall be extinguished... all life destroyed.

Those words rang through my mind as a massive flare of fire and darkness blasted behind it. With that, we were cast into the celestial plane. Stars dotted the black sky, and a red-orange planet was nearby. A blue star burned a bit away, and a few other planets were around.

"This is it, guys," I told them. "The endgame. It's all or nothing. We have two options: restore the True Light or die trying!"

MORE ON SORA'S NEW DRIVE FORM

--------------------------------------------

Sora's new Form, "Limit Break Form," is essentially his Limit Form with unlimited energy and a heightened release limit. It is a product of him Driving with his light (Kairi) and another person (Serenity), in addition to invoking the powers of Limit Form.


	64. 58: The Extreme

**Chapter Fifty Eight: The Extreme**

I don't know why, but I felt calm. Standing in the starry ether, I felt all my emotions flow out of me. I was left with nothing more than my resolve. I was turned into a demon, with my closest friends standing beside me. We stood on an invisible floor on the Celestial Plane, and before us stood the embodiment of eternal darkness, and just beyond it waited the True Light...

"You guys..." I muttered. "We have to end it now. This is it!"

"Right!" Riku shouted.

"Let's get to it!" Sora yelled. We dashed at the dark being, using our swords to literally slice the air. The air ripped as we approached, but we were pushed back by a wave of invisible energy. A flare of darnkess erupted behind me, distracting me. A flare of fire erupted beneath my feet, completely consuming me...

I screamed as the flames burned me, but after the fire died down, I felt unharmed.

_It seems my full-demon defenses are better..._

I staggered forward, injured but nowhere near finished. My next move was to dash forward, but this time I jumped over the invisible wave of darkness that was thrown at me. I had to dodge flares of fire and darkness as I continued dashing forward, intent on slaying the darkness. Just when it seemed I had made it, a dark flare consumed me. The darkness tempted me... if I gave in to my sorrow now, I'd never feel pain again...

_No! I've come too far! I won't give in again... not now!_

The darkness faded, and now, I was where I began.

_I see... if I get hit by those dark flares, I start again._

Sora and Riku were there too... I guessed they'd been hit by those dark flares, too.

"We can't get hit by those flares. They'll tempt us and bring us back here," I said, "or roast us alive. Dodge them at any cost!"

We dashed forward again, dodging waves of darkness, dark flares, and plumes of molten fire. We came so close, I was able to swing my sword. It looked like it had hit, but the move stopped on the dark flames. I had to move a second later in order to dodge a dark flare. I attacked again, but still no result.

_Okay. Time to use some light!_

I split my Judgment Blade into Illumina and Gaia's Edge. I attacked in a flurry of strokes, releasing energy along with my strokes with Illumina. It almost went through... but was stopped just before it would do anything... even the aura ribbons.

I dashed back, where Sora and Riku were waiting.

"Nothing's getting through... not Illumina or our Keyblades," Sora told me.

"It doesn't look like we can make it... this is the eternal darkness, after all," Riku said. He seemed resigned to losing.

"Not yet. We have one option... one hope left," I muttered, breathing heavily.

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"A... Mega Drive," I muttered.

"Mega Drive?" Riku asked. We dashed aside to dodge a flare.

"Well... since you guys have already drived, if two of us drive with another, we'd Mega Drive... right?" I asked. "It's just a therory, but if it works, we might get the strength we need."

"I suppose... but how stable would a fusion of that magnitude be?" Sora asked. We dodged another flare.

"Not very... but with that much strength, would we need much time?" I asked. A plume of darkness erupted under me, but I narrowly managed to dodge it.

"I guess you're right. So, who's going to drive?" Riku asked.

"I am," I said boldly.

"Why...?" Sora asked as we dashed to avoid a dark flare.

"This is my fight. It's personal," I told them. "You could say it's my ultimate battle against my inner darkness. If I can't defeat it now, I'll never know inner peace."

"I see," Sora said. "Okay. Let's do it!"

"Right!" Riku shouted.

We all stood still, gathering energy. A plume of darkness erupted beneath us, but it was too little, too late...

I crouched down as the darkness dispersed, leaving me in the perfect attack position. I lunged forward, using my Judgment Blade to break through the dark flames. The dark being's arm was cleaved off, but the flame armor was still there. I felt some sort of otherworldly power coursing through my entire body, but it was rough... very difficult to control.

"It's over now!" I shouted, hearing an even rougher distortion in my voice. I dashed forward, dicing the dark being as best I could. I got knocked back a long way onto the planet behind us, bracing for the impact. Fortnately, there was no atmosphere; I landed, making a huge crater, but dashed forward with all of my strength. I blazed, making a flame trail behind me, and cleaved the dark being in two. Its flames died out...

I felt that otherworldy power... the one far beyond my ability to control... fade from my body as I lost consciousness...

**MORE ON 'MEGA DRIVE'**  
_---------------------------------------  
_Mega Drive, a technique employed by Roy to overpower the Darkness while transformed into his Demon Form, is a highly unstable, but immensely powerful ability; so much so that it can literally cleave a planet in two. While it would be different for every person, Roy's Mega Drive bestowed his Demon Form with four more white demon wings and three black angel wings, hence the name of his Mega Drive form, 'Twilight Seraph.' The technique is called Mega Drive because it involves driving with people who have already driven with others; theoretically, a 'Giga Drive' would require 7 people, while the upper limit Drive, 'Tera Drive,' would require 15 people.


	65. 59: Battle of the Heroes! Rairin: Tenshi

**Chapter Fifty Nine: Battle of the Heroes! Rairin: Tenshi**

"Huh...? Where... am I?" I asked as the darkness faded. I was standing in the middle of a busy city street. Cars whizzed around, and people were scurrying about the sidewalks.

Car horns blared at me. I finally got my senses back after the awe of being in a real city, and was forced to dart through traffic to a sidewalk. I gasped, still exhausted, and saw my breath.

"Where am I?" I asked again.

"Hey! Watch out!" someone shouted. Apparently, I'd gotten in the way of sidewalk traffic. I was forced to dodge that, too, until I sidled up against a wall on the far side of the sidewalk. There I finally got a good view of the skyline. There was a huge skyscraper, but it was ironically small; no wider than a single story. The top was spiked... there were other things, too, but...

"I'm in... Seattle?" I asked myself.

"Yeah, and don't forget it!" a passerby said with a funny accent.

"So... what am I doing here?" I asked myself, stepping into the sidewalk traffic.

_I thought I restored the True Light... maybe I did, maybe I didn't... but either way, where do I go now? Something's odd... I don't think I can pull off any of my transformations._

I passed a newspaper vending machine, stopping for a second to check it. The date said it was six... no, five years ago. The day everything had begun.

"This is... impossible! Have I been time traveling again?" I asked myself aloud. "I... what's going on?"

I stared at the Space Needle again.

That must be where I'm supposed to go... I guess I better get going.

I went the distance, being stopped by cops a couple of times. I just blew them off, saying I was carrying only a sheath. Luckily, they bought it, and I kept on my way, being a little stealthier because I did **NOT** want to be caught by the fuzz again.

I made it to the Space Needle without any more incidents, and rode a slightly crowded elevator to the top floor. I busted out onto the roof through a repair tunnel. I looked around as a gale force wind blew past, making my eyes water. I finally saw someone wearing a black cloak...

"Amy..." I said slowly, walking forward slowly.

"Hmph. So, you've come," Amy said. She didn't turn around. "You've almost succedded in restoring the True Light. But you've got one last obstacle."

A fragment of darkness appeared just above Amy's hand.

"If you succeed, it ends here. If not..." she said quietly, "If you fail, the light will fade... forever."

Amy jumped off the Space Needle, clutching the fragment of darkness to her chest. I jumped off after her, despite the obvious danger. I had my Judgment Blade poised to cleave her in two yet again, but Amy somehow landed smoothly on the ground, pulling out her katana to block my blow. She looked up at me with that sinister look... and a demon's red eyes...

"Nice to see you, Roy," Amy said, pausing between the last two words. My eyes darted from side to side, barely managing to withstand her bloodlusted stare.

_This is..._

Amy knocked me upwards with her katana, and I dropped the memento sakaboto. I managed to land on the roof of the Space Needle, crouching a little as Amy jumped up. She landed on the very top of the needle.

"Your darkness is gone?" Amy asked. I held my sword ready. "What a shame."

"Amy, it's over. What do you want?!" I asked her angrily.

"The last fading fragments of the darkness," she said, staring off into the bright sky. "Those shards will corrupt the True Light... corroding it, destroying it."

Amy flicked her wrist at the sky, which got dark and cloudy, except for a tiny ray of light.

"What I want, Roy, is to erase all the worlds from existence using the darkness, just as Senka tried to, long ago. Then one day the light will return, but I'll be there to erase it again," Amy said.

"What about my friends?" I asked angrily.

"Well... that's up to you, Roy," Amy said, slowly and softly. She lowered her arm, charging toward me. I mirrored the move, clashing our blades and sending out sparks of our auras.

-------------------------------------------------

Our blades clashed loudly on top of the Space Needle, sending out shockwaves of forced that cracked the top of the Needle. I attacked her feet, parried a blow to my chest, attacked her arm, parried another blow, and then knocked Amy off of the Space Needle.

"I know it's not that easy..."

I staggered as the ground beneath me began to fall.

_Did she... slice off the top?!_

I dashed forward to avoid being impaled on the tower, which was ramming up through the center of the top. I saw volcanoes exploding in the distance as I jumped off, even though I wasn't sure how I'd survive. I pivoted during my jump, turning around to see the tower falling apart. I felt snow begin to sting my eyes.

_She's not dead... where'd she go?_

I looked around while drifting through the air... _left, up, down... right?!_

Amy came flying thorough the air, knocking me into an office building. People screamed as I staggered to my feet just in time to parry an attack from Amy. We began dashing through the building as a fierce blizzard began chilling my bones. That, in conjunction with the exploding volcanoes, really scared me... these disasters scared me as much as Amy's fighting ability.

After dashing around, Amy and I clashed blades a couple of times, sending out sparks of our auras.

"Oh...? Where did you find this strength?" Amy asked, pushing forward a little.

"Why the hell would I tell you?!" I shouted, shoving Amy out of the building. I jumped out of the hole Amy had been blasted through, feeling ripping winds and icy snow stinging my eyes. I heard banging behind me just in time to jump over a piece of falling rubble, the end of which was covered in ice.

I landed just in time to parry another blow from Amy's katana, which shot out a little fire on its downward arc. We launched into a firece set of attacks and parries, neither of us managing to land a blow. I made a high jump stroke, but before my blow landed, Amy had disappeared. I jumped back in reaction to a chunk of building that was flying toward me, and Amy followed me through the air.

We clashed blades a few times on another building, eventually stopping for a moment to get our hand positions right. Amy jumped off, and I followed, finally realizing just how high up I was.

"I've thought of the perfect thing to give you for all your effort," Amy taunted, cutting off a chunk of a building, the end of which was lit on fire.

"Don't be so generous!" I shouted, chopping the rubble in half.

"Shall I give you... death?" she asked, knocking me into a building. I used my sword on the way down to dig into the building, barely managing to hang onto the handle. I kicked a little, trying to get up onto the blade, but to no avail.

I looked up at Amy, who was perched atop the building. She had a sinister... evil, even for her, look in her eyes.

"Give it up, 'hero,'" Amy taunted. "No matter what you do, you can never atone for your sins."

I looked on as chunks of the skyscraper we were on began falling, massive pieces headed right for me.

_I've only got one shot at this..._

Just as the rubble began to reach me, I put my feet to the skyscraper's wall and pulled on my sword with all of my might, dislodging the blade. I hopped off of the building, rebounding onto chunks of rubble. I moved as fast as possible to jump up, dicing any piece of rubble that got in my way.

A cross of fire and ice... in the middle, steam... appeared on a chunk of rubble over me. Amy came diving through the steam, using both of her swords. I blocked her blows, then landed on a piece of rubble. We both moved into a moves of extreme speed, jumping across falling pieces of debris, while each of our subsequent attacks and parries released sparks of our auras: mine red, Amy's black.

I knew we weren't close to the ground, but there was an odd glow. I jumped off, slicing a piece of rubble in half, to jump up to the collapsed skyscraper.

"Crap!" I shouted. There was no way I could jump that high... I turned around as I started falling back to the hunks of rubble. Now I saw what was odd... the lava from the volcanoes had flooded the streets of Seattle, with very little left standing.

Amy had warped above me, and knocked me down toward the lava. I managed to land on one of the pieces of rubble, albeit somewhat roughly.

_Damn, it's hot..._

Amy landed on the opposite side of the rubble.

"What do you mean, I can never atone for my sins?" I asked her, even though I was sweating buckets and starting to tire.

"Your soul is too tainted with blood and darkness to ever be redeemed," Amy said to me. "Even I, a master of the dark arts, have a cleaner soul. You're just the waste of the world; someone meant to save everything at the cost of his self: his heart, his body, and his soul!"

"I might be some sort of savior, but I have no intention of becoming a martyr!" I shouted back.

"It's already been decided," Amy told me. "The only way you can avoid death is to pull the Chains of Destiny again, and we both know you don't have that kind of strength right now."

"I'll make you eat those words!" I shouted, charging forward. We attacked and parried each other's blows at invisible speeds, but I began to doubt how much longer I could keep this up. After several moments, we stalled for a second, whirling our blades behind our backs and clashing with another release of our auras.

I jumped back onto another piece of rubble to avoid drowning in lava, which had nearly engulfed the platform we were on. Amy followed, and we clashed blades dozens of times while hopping across tiny pieces of rubble. We managed to land on another piece suitable for battle.

"I refuese to die," I told Amy. "I don't care what you or anyone else says! I've refused Death his prize in the past, and I can do it again!"

"That's just it, Roy," Amy said coldly. "We're in the past... before we even drew swords against the Order of Light. You don't have any of your powers or abilities from back then... frankly, I'm surprised you still have that Judgment Blade."

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other," I told her. "I've fought this hard... come this far... suffered this much! I won't let anything stop me now!"

"Brave words... but I see the truth in your heart," Amy sneered. "You can't bear to kill me because I represent your greatest failure: your inability to protect those dear to you."

"Sh... shut up!" I shouted, charging forward. She parried my blow, sneering at me from across our clashed steel.

"You see...? You don't have it in you."

"I'm not giving up."

We jumped back.

"You could never win at this level."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

To be honest, I had to agree with her now.

We dashed forward, flying into a fierce set of strikes and parries. We clashed again, and Amy began to push me back toward the lava. I jumped off, dashing across tiny pieces of rubble. I faltered for a moment, gasped, and stood back up to face Amy, who was riding down the lava flow on a tiny piece of debris.

We clashed our blades together as Amy jumped off of her piece of debris onto my platform. After another lightning fast set of parries and blows, we clashed our blades together. I pushed forward with all I had, but to no avail. Amy held steady, and I could tell she wasn't trying at all.

I jumped back.

"Why did you go down this road?" I asked her. "It's true Senka corrupted you... but I killed her. You should have come back to your true self, or at least become purified over time!"

"I don't think I'm corrupt," Amy told me. "I simply realized the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

"That all life is meaningless: it exists only to die."

"That's not true."

"Say what you will."

We launched forward again, attacking at mach speed now, but I faltered once or twice, taking a couple of nicks in the arm for it. I saw a chance to jump onto a building, and I took it.

I hopped through the stories to the roof, staggering for a moment.

I can't keep this up... even wearing Oryx's armor wasn't this hard!

I managed to get back on my feet as Amy came attacking through the blizzard and gale-force winds. I could barely move enough to parry her blows, and it really showed: she was kicking and punching me in addition to picking me up so she could attack me again. She knocked me against the side of the roof, pinning me to it as an icy cold chill ran through my left shoulder and to my spine. I could barely see Amy through the snow and wind.

"Tell me who you care most about," Amy said, barely audible through the ripping winds.

I gasped and grunted, straining to put my hand on her sword that was stuck in my shoulder.

It was ice cold.

"When I'm done with you, they're the next person I'll kill."

I had a flashback to everything I'd experienced over my time off of Earth: from the defeat of Charon, to Senka's appearance, to donning the Oryx's armor... but most importantly, to my and Amy's moment on the beach at Kitty Hawk... and finally remembered my promise...

I felt an otherworldly power flow into me... not the darkness of a demon, but a warm light...

I grabbed the frozen blade and threw it out of my shoulder, slashing on the way up and causing Amy to jump back.

"You're so blind," I told her. "Even after all this time, you still don't see it!"

Amy simply chuckled as she hopped toward me, slashing. I countered the blow, causing her to jump back and off of the building. I followed.

"**YOU** are the person I care most about!!!"

I slung my sword behind me, throwing it out and splitting it into its six components. I followed with a six-bladed Grand Cross, followed by a Grand Trine, followed by a straight dive through her: my complete Judgment Crest.

I landed smoothly on the ground, and Amy landed too...

"How are you still standing?" I asked.

"Don't... count me out... so soon..." Amy gasped, breathing haggardly. "I have too... too much darkness... too much power."

"Very well, then..." I said quietly, readying my blade. "I'll end this for good. Into this one blow I put my pain, my anger, and all of my sorrow!"

My Judgment Blade shone with a white light.

I dashed forward, jumping Braver-style, before imparting a few last words to Amy.

"Farewell, my love," I said to her, though she couldn't hear it because of the razor winds.

"**DIVINE JUDGMENT CREST!!!**"

Just before the moment of impact, using my new otherworldly power, I split the Judgment Blade into its six components, dealing six simultaneous blows that ripped Amy into pieces. She staggered back as I held my only sword left: the Masamune. The others, including my Keyblade, had shattered upon impact.

Amy floated up to the clearing sky, dripping blood the entire way.

"Fade away like you should have," I said to her, "so many years ago."

"I will never fade away," Amy said, disappearing in a wisp of black smoke against the bright sky.

**ROY'S ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE - 'DIVINE JUDGMENT CREST'**  
_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_  
An enhanced version of Roy's original Judgment Crest, like the normal Judgment Crest, it starts with a Grand Cross technique (this time with six swords), followd by a Grand Trine technique, but instead of simply diving through his opponent with his reformed sword, he splits it on impact, causing the technique to be much more devestating. The instance in which he used it is the first and only time he will do so, as his lacks his demonic powers in this battle. This is because of his time-traveling: when warped back to the date his journey started, Roy lost almost all of his superhuman abilities (save for his Judgment Blade) and he was forced to call upon the power of light in this battle, having lost his darkness and thus his ability to transform into the Holy Demon - in this fight, he transformed into a full angel.

**ROY'S 'ANGEL FORM'**

-----------------------------

A purified version of Roy's celestial powers. Having accepted his light, Roy is able to transform into an angel (notable by the aura wings he grows). The form is based on defensive abilities, but still possesses the unlimited aura and the doubled energy release limit of his (One-Winged) Demon Form.


	66. 60: What I've Done

**Chapter Sixty: What I've Done**

**A/N:** _Roy's "theme song," Linkin Park's_ What I've Done_,' plays during the fight scene of this chapter. I do not claim the rights to that song._

Standing atop the ruined Space Needle, I could see the coming dawn. It wasn't a natural dawn; instead, it was made by the falling ashes. I inhaled sharply, breathing in a bit of volcanic ash, then took the elevator down to the ground.

Once I got to the ground, most of the ash in the immediate sky had fallen down, leaving a beautiful blue sky. It was devoid of clouds, clean and pure. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, then opened them again.

A tiny patch of the sky was dark. It spread like a disease across the crystal blue sky, spreading to the horizon, and then swallowing the buildings around me. I stood in darkness absolute; unafraid, but still wary. I couldn't sense any auras...

I closed my eyes and concentrated, using Shinkogan. Once I opened them, I knew where I was.

A girl, chained and caged, wearing a white kimono was behind a girl in a black kimono. The black-garbed girl turned around, and I knew who she was and where I was...

_Amy. I'm within her heart._

The black-robed Amy carried with her both her katana and sakaboto. I walked up to her, no longer needing Shinkogan, then stood about 10 feet away from her.

"Even here... within my heart?" she asked. "Tenacious to no end."

"It's not like I wanted to come here," I said to her. "This isn't my fight. It's hers."

I pointed to the bound Amy within the cage.

"She would fight me... but she's tied up, as you can see," the dark Amy sneered at me. "She called on you to fight this battle for her."

_The real Amy... the one untouched by Senka's darkness, and not lost within it. This battle..._

I slowly unsheathed my Masamune.

"With this battle... I'm letting go of what I've done," I said to her, drawing in aura. "I'm done making excuses for what I've done... I killed people because I chose to. I'm crossing out what I've become... no longer yielding to my darkness."

"Very well, then..." the dark Amy said, unsheathing both her katana and sakaboto. "Atonement or self-forgiveness, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other..."  
----------------------------------------------  
We stood still for a moment. I felt calm then for some reason... I couldn't explain it. My soul was calm.

_I'm not just facing Amy's darkness... I'm facing who I could have become..._

I dashed forward, clashing with the dark Amy. Our auras came out again... mine still blood red, though the tint was a bit lighter now. The dark Amy's was jet black... I could only see it against my aura.

We dashed back, then blazed around each other. I used Shinkogan to see if she was using aura...

She was. Just to keep up with me, she was using massive amounts of dark aura. I stopped, causing her to circle around, then move in. I sheathed my Masamune, then got into the Eight Trigrams stance.

_Eight Trigrams: Two Hundred Fifty Six Palms!_

I dashed forward, using only two fingers to strike Amy's aura points.

"Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty two palms! Sixty four palms! One hundred twenty eight palms! Two hundred fifty six palms!"

The dark Amy was blown back by the sheer force of my moves, but got back on her feet soon enough. My Shinkogan showed she wasn't using much aura any longer; my Eight Trigrams technique made sure of that. She ran forward, but I dodged the blow, hitting her in the side with the saya of my Masamune. I dashed to strike her, but the dark Amy put up her katana to block my stroke.

I forced her katana to the ground, put my foot on it, and kicked the dark Amy away from it. I then fused the katana with my Masamune... but it had no effect. I looked up at the dark Amy, who still had her katana.

"You think anything you do to me really matters here?" she asked. "This is my realm... my heart."

My Shinkogan showed her aura was back to full capacity.

I dashed forward, clashing at breakneck speed with the dark Amy. We attacked and parried with bursts of aura, which wore us out... well, it wore me out a bit. The dark Amy seemed unhindered even after those moves. We dashed back, then I continued dashing back while the dark Amy struck at me. I blocked all of her blows, then gathered the aura for a Spiraling Sphere.

After I had enough, I dashed into the dark Amy's arms; I threw the Spiraling Sphere at her, but she seemed to absorb it with her katana. She then threw the energy back at me, but I absorbed it with my Masamune. We tossed the energy at each other until it had fizzled out.

We then dashed around. Finally clashing, I forced her sword to the ground again; this time, it was her sakaboto. I held it to the floor as she attacked me with her other sword. Finally, pushing her back with a burst of aura, I picked the sakaboto up.

_Amy's first sword..._

I put away my Masamune.

"Intent on using my sword, hitokiri?" the dark Amy asked. "Give it up. You can never erase your sins."

We moved fast. I was spurned by... something, I couldn't tell what it was, but something about Amy's sword filled me with strength. We moved at high speeds, clashing and parrying, until with a final burst of force, we stood still, locked in a contest of force.

I jumped back, blocking the counter that followed. I whirled the sakaboto around, finally getting into a charging pose.

_This thing's a lot lighter than my Masamune... no wonder Amy likes this kind of sword so much._

We attacked and parried blows again, but I never stopped; even when it seemed the dark Amy was going to kill me, I took the hit and kept attacking. The sakaboto did the best it could; it bruised her, but even with aural enhancements, it couldn't cut her.

I finally knocked the sakaboto aside, then stepped on it. The dark Amy had been skidding to grab it, and was reaching for it as I pointed the sakaboto at her.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to kill me?" the dark Amy asked. She seemed, even in mortal danger, very sure of herself. Her voice seemed resigned, but even so...

_I want to kill her more than anything..._

"No," I said. I turned my back to her after picking up her katana. "I'm letting mercy come and wash away... what I've done."

The sky became a bit ligher, splotched with white bits, as it began to snow. The dark Amy dissipated as the cage binding the light Amy began to disintegrate. I walked off; my job was done. I'd let go of my sins and saved Amy in the process.

"Whatever pain this brings, it's worth it," I said, walking off into the white ether.


	67. Ex 1: Destati

**Exception 1: Destati**

I felt the snow and light fading... and myself... falling...

I landed on a stained glass platform. The sky was totally white.

"This must be... my Awakening..." I muttered to myself.

"It is. You should easily recognize this place, as well as my voice," I heard someone say. I turned around to see Ansem... the real Ansem.

"Did you drag me back here, Ansem?" I asked.

"Yes. I took you back here, into your heart, so that you could make a choice and so that you could know the truth about yourself... the whole truth," he said.

"The whole truth about myself? I've been everywhere there is to be... seen everything there is to see, save the future. Tell me..." I said, "what more is there to know?"

"The connection you share with Sora," he said.

"I'm not connected to Sora. I'm just aligned with everyone... Riku, Kairi, Jason, Serenity, Jake, Amy, and Sora," I said. "I'm only the arbiter in the battle between darkness and light."

"That's not true. You see... Sora is the key that connects everything," he said. "However... even the strongest connections can fail."

"Oh?"

"You... Roy, are the keyring that binds it all together. Despite your arbitrary position, all your efforts have held the worlds together as best as they can be. Your journey is one of stability; your aim and fate is to keep everything held together in conjunction with Sora's connections," he said. "You are the Keychain on the worlds' Keyblade, as Sora is the Key grooves."

"How long did it take you to come up with that speech?" I asked. "I don't care how I'm connected to Sora. That's insignificant. What matters... really... is protecting those I care about."

"If that's true, you've been a bit of a failure as of late," he laughed at me.

"You're right," I chuckled. "Even so, I'm not turning back. I know that my journey's not over just yet, or else I wouldn't have been dragged here."

"There is no knowledge that has the power to change your fate," Ansem echoed.

"Maybe not," I said. "I'm strong enough to do it on my own, though."

"So you believe. However..." Ansem began, and three paths appeared behind him, "all must make this choice in the end."

One path led up to the left, one straight in the middle, and one to the lower right.

"Dawn, Midlight, or Dusk..." I muttered. "Each has its own pros and cons."

"Choose. Be a hero, like Sora; a repenant hero, like Riku; or a fallen hero, not unlike Xehanort."

I shook my head.

"Ever since I understood how big of a variable I am, I've been looking for another way," I said. "Any of those paths only leads to the same thing; light against darkness, locked in combat forever."

"You cannot turn your back on this. It is a path all must take; the path of decision, making up your mind as to what you truly wish. To save others, save yourself, or fall into darkness."

"I'm tired of being told I have only five choices; light, dawn, midlight, dusk, or darkness. Now... watch, as I forge my own path," I said, gathering aura in my left hand. I turned my back on Ansem, using my aura to claw a hole in the invisible barrier keeping me on the Station.

"What are you doing?!" Ansem shouted. "You cannot turn your back on fate!"

"I've done it once before... I can do it again," I struggled. The barrier was doing its best to stay in place, but I surged more aura into my hand to the point where it was painful. I cringed, pulling with both hands, and finally the barrier shattered around me like glass.

"The only thing down your 'self-chosen' path is one of sorrow and ruin," he said, then disappeared into a dark corridor. A new glass path appeared before me, leading down a seemingly endless road. I stepped down it, and as I did so, felt something different.

Courage... my own way.

As I continued down, the sky changed from its snowy hue to a grey blur, then into a pitch-black void. At the end was a huge ebon door, identifiable only by its golden tree design.

"This is the door to the deepest darkness... the way to the end. If I go through here, it's all over one way or the other."

I shoved the two doors open...


	68. Ex 2: Puppetmaster

**Exception 2: Puppetmaster**

The shine from opening the door began to fade.

_Beyond here, there is no light. Not even the ray of light you carry in your heart can save you here. Be careful, Roy Hartmut._

"Can it, Ansem," I said, eyes closed.

I stepped into the endless void of shadows.

_So... you finally made it to the heart of darkness_, a familiar, but ethereal voice called out.

"Your voice... it's so familiar, yet it escapes me," I called out, hearing my voice echo across the emptiness of where I was. "I..."

_I'm shocked_, the voice called out. _Considering our history together... our blood relation... you shouldn't have forgotten me, even if you haven't seen me in four and a half years._

"Four and a half years...? What happened four and a half years ago?" I asked.

_You've forgotten even that? How sad._

"I haven't forgotten... I just don't remember..." I said. "I've been fighting almost nonstop for four years, after all. Some memories are bound to get buried."

_Still, it's sad you could forget your own brother._

"Jake? Jake, are you still alive somehow?!" I called out into the shadows.

"No," the voice said, now concrete, behind me. I heard the door I had entered through slam shut.

"My other brother... my older brother..." I said over my shoulder. "You could only be... Lance."

"That's right," he said as I turned around. He was wearing little more than black trousers and a long, black cloak... on the back, I assumed, was some symbol or character.

"Lance... my shameful older brother. What's your self-imposed role in my story?" I asked him.

"Puppetmaster," he replied.

"Puppetmaster? So you've been pulling the strings all this time... from when Amy reappeared and corrupted the world population?" I asked.

"Longer than that," he said. "I pointed the Order of Light at Earth, and since then, I've been watching you, Roy. Hoping you'd die at the hands of one of my minions and make my job a lot easier. But you're as resilient and pestilent as ever."

"You... you bastard!" I shouted, charging at him with my last blade... the Masamune. "You'd try to kill your own brother?! What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," Lance called out as I charged.

My blow should have chopped him clean in two... but he caught it with his bare hand...

"People inherently fear evil," he said. "However, occasionally a person may be seduced by evil."

He ran his hand down the length of my blade, causing blood to flow down it.

"Seduced by evil? That's a load of crap!" I shouted, trying to push my blade forward.

Lance held it steady.

"Oh, really? Look at Jake... look at what happened to him because of you," Lance said, finally letting go of my sword. As soon as he did, I made a swing, but he vanished just before the blow should have landed.

"What happened to Jake... wasn't my fault..." I muttered to myself.

"Still making excuses for your actions, or lack of actions?" Lance called out from behind me.

"No... I've let go of what I've done. But what about you? What's your excuse for causing this five-year atrocity?" I asked, disgusted at what my brother had become... and the memories he was bringing back...

"You could say... I'm trying to support my family," he said.

"Your family?! Mom, dad, Jake and I are the only family you've got, and everyone but me has died by your hand!" I shouted at him.

"How untrue," he said. "You killed our parents on your blood rampage in the Dark Depths of Hollow Bastion, and if I recall correctly, you battled Jake in a one-on-one duel. He even used the second level of that Cursed Seal you gave him, but you still slaughtered him."

"That's... I..." I stammered.

"I may have pushed you toward it, but you're the one who killed them," Lance said with a grave tone.

"I told you... I've let go of what I've done. But... what 'family' are you talking... about...?" I asked slowly.

"I have a wife and son," he said.

"You do?" I asked, shocked for a moment. "Even so, what of it...?"

"Let's just say I was having a lot of trouble," Lance told me. "I was in debt and struggling. And six and a half years ago, I felt a tinge of darkness touch me from across space. It told me that I could have whatever I needed and desired if I gave myself over to it. I did."

"You coward..." I muttered under my breath.

"What did you say?" Lance asked with an incredulous tone.

"I said you're a coward. You chose the easy way, rather than suffer for what you need," I told him. "You've suffered? Don't make me laugh."

"You went on fantastic adventures, while I worked a crummy job to support my family," Lance said. "What would you know about suffering?"

"I've been forced to fight and kill all the people I hold dear to me, except you," I said. "And now it seems I'll be forced to kill you, too."

"You can't kill me," Lance said. "I've got a family to protect."

_This is a difficult situation,_ I thought to myself._ I have to restore the True Light... to change the world, not save it... and to see the end of this. But... he's my brother, and... he's got a family he's fighting for... what should I do?_

"If you won't kill me, I'll kill you," Lance said, "and do the world a big favor."

"How would killing me do the world a favor?" I asked with my head hung. "I'm its savior, after all."

"You could never function in the real world, Roy," Lance said, placing particular disgust on my name. "You're a lazy slacker with no value in this world or the next. Just disappear."

I felt a razor wind moving to strike me as I closed my eyes, still hanging my head.

**CLANG!!!**

"Huh?" I asked, opening my eyes. A familiar katana was blocking a blow from a flamberge.

"There's no way we'd let you die, Roy," I heard Amy say. "Even if you don't believe in yourself, we know you're important!"

"Amy... who else is here?" I asked.

"Everyone... Jake, Jason, Serenity, Sora, Riku, and Kairi!" she shouted.

"Tch... wretched fools," Lance said, backing off. Everyone stepped forth from the darkness. "No matter how many flies gather, they can accomplish little more than what one fly could."

"Right. That's why we... Riku and I beat Xemnas?" Sora asked. "I don't believe you for a second."

"You turned me against our brother... albeit passively," Jake said. "I'll never forgive you, even if the blood in your veins is exactly like mine!"

"See? We're all here for you, Lance," Amy said to him. "Jake and I were resurrected and purified by the light, just like the worlds... and now, we're here to see this battle done for eternity."

"No," I said gravely. "Stay back. This is my fight and my fight alone."

"See? The even worst fool realizes when he's outclassed," Lance called out mockingly.

"Roy... you can't give up on us now," Amy said. "We've come this far because of rivalry and friendship. This is all of our fight."

"You guys..." I muttered.

"I'm at your side, brother," Jake said.

"This is my final test to see if I'm really cut out for fighting at your caliber, Roy," Jason said.

"I refuse to sit on the sidelines any longer!" Serenity called out.

"Well, we've got a tough opponent ahead, eh?" Riku asked.

"No doubt he's got some fun planned for us," Sora said sarcastically.

"That's not funny! We're here to save the world!" Kairi said.

"If that's how you feel, I can't say no," I said, looking up. "Come on! Let's do this!"

"Nothing more than a motley crew of fools, bent on their own selfish desires..." Lance said. "If your wish is to die now, instead of becoming one with the endless void trillions of years in the future, so be it. Come!"

"I would have you know, Lance..." I said solemly, "that even now, I bear no hatred toward you. You... I pity you."

BATTLE QUOTES -the quotes of the various heroes against Lance, done in the style of Fire Emblem (as writing them battling w/the quotes would... be really hard).

SORA

--------  
Sora: So, you're the one behind it all. How ironic that your the worlds' savior's brother.  
Lance: What do you know of blood ties? You don't have any siblings.  
Sora: Riku may as well be my brother, and Kairi is.  
Lance: What? Your love?  
Sora: I won't let you hurt them, or anyone else.  
Lance: Puny Keyblade master. I'll show you the true power of darkness!

SORA (VALOR/WISDOM/MASTER FORM)  
-----------  
Lance: I see you're trying a little harder now.  
Sora: Well... I can't exactly win like I was.  
Lance: You still haven't got a prayer.

SORA (FINAL FORM)  
------------  
Sora: It's over.  
Lance: Is that what you think? So foolish.  
Sora: If I can't stop you in this form, maybe I am a fool. But I swear... I won't die.  
Lance: Perhaps not today. But you will inevitably die.

SORA (LIMIT/ LIMIT BREAK FORM)  
----------  
Sora: This... is the power of my memories. The memories of light!  
Lance: Your past... if you reflect on your past, you can't take me down. The past is my friend.  
Sora: You controlled all of this. It's your fault! I'll never forgive you!

RIKU

--------  
Lance: And now, before me, stands Riku the redeemed.  
Riku: What a pathetic title. Is that the best you can come up with?  
Lance: It's not like you can beat me. Be thankful I'm even giving you a title.  
Riku: Who do you think you are?  
Lance: The one who will bring you to your ultimate fate. Come!

KAIRI

--------  
Lance: So, the Princess of Heart is actually standing up to me. I never thought this day would come.  
Kairi: I won't let you hurt my friends.  
Lance: Like you have a choice in the matter. You're the weakest one here.  
Kairi: I have abilities other than physical prowess.  
Lance: Let's see it, then.

AMY

--------------  
Amy: You did all of this. You corrupted me. You made me betray Roy.  
Lance: What of it?  
Amy: It was all for your own selfish ends.  
Lance: I wouldn't say my ends were selfish.  
Amy: It doesn't matter, now... I will fight you, and I will defeat you.  
Lance: You will try.

JAKE (NORMAL FORM)  
----------------------------  
Jake: You always pushed me around, brother.  
Lance: Foolish little brother. You can't beat me.  
Jake: I'm stronger than you realize.  
Lance: Run, while you still can. Run and survive in an unsightly manner such as this.  
Jake: I'm tired of being told my life, as it is, is unsightly. This ends now!

JAKE (LEVEL 1 CURSED SEAL)  
------------------------------------  
Lance: So this is the power Roy gave you... a cursed seal.  
Jake: What of it?  
Lance: You still haven't harnessed its full power.  
Jake: I'm capable of it.  
Lance: If you value your life, I'd suggest doing so.  
Jake: This power is more than enough to take you down!  
Lance: Is that what you think?

JAKE (LEVEL 2 CURSED SEAL)  
------------------------------------  
Jake: Now this is more like it.  
Lance: You're strong, little brother. However, it still isn't enough.  
Jake: I'll be the judge of that.

ROY (NORMAL FORM)  
----------------------------  
Lance: So it comes to this. I never thought you'd get this far.  
Roy: You always underestmated me because of my laziness... because of who I was.  
Lance: Maybe so, but I think it was a righteous underestimation.  
Roy: Not really. I have a few talents.  
Lance: Like what? Computers? You always bragged about that. You're still lacking in physical abilities, though.  
Roy: My skill with the blade far outclasses your own.  
Lance: Is... that right?

ROY (HOLY DEMON)  
--------------------------  
Roy: Get out. This is my story, and you're not part of it.  
Lance: Oh? I'm the driving force behind it all... the very reason you began fighting. I am the darkness that haunts your soul, the being that decides if you live or die.  
Roy: I won't say it again. This is my story, and you're not part of it.

ROY (ANGEL)  
----------------  
Lance: That cursed power... the one that resists destiny.  
Roy: I won't allow you to make the light fade.  
Lance: As if it matters. You're too weak like that... a form based on defense cannot hope to overcome me.

(The hereos are victorious)


	69. Ex 3: Power and Strength

**Exception 3: Power and Strength**

"Ggh..." Lance gasped, staggering back. "You guys are tenacious, I'll give you that. You can't win, though."

"I'd beg to differ," I said, pointing my blade at him. Everyone mimicked me.

"Well... then... let's see how you do without support!"

Lance disappeared, and a massive sphere of darkness appeared where he once was; the rest of the room had become white.

"He's there," Sora said.

"Of course. He wants to face me in single combat," I said. "He probably won't let anyone but me into that dark sphere."

I went up and placed my hand into the sphere. It felt cold, but nothing more.

"Guys... let me do this. It's my final act of atonement," I said to them.

"Roy... you can't take him alone," Sora said. "He's got the unlimited power of darkness. It took eight of us to hold him back, and that was a harrowing fight."

"This is my fight," I said. "You can help me, though."

"How?" Riku asked.

"Lend me your strength... your Keyblades," I said, summoning my broken Keyblade. "I can use my powers and make a new weapon... one with the light's power. One that can stand up to... Lance..."

"Roy..." Jake started.

"I understand how you all feel. But... I have to..." I stammered. "I..."

"Okay," Sora said, handing me his Keyblade.

"No hesitation?" I asked in awe.

"It'll take that much," Sora said.

"Here," Amy said, handing me her sakaboto. "Don't break it."

"The Dawn is at your command," Riku said, handing me his.

"Face your darkness... and overcome it," Kairi said gently, handing me her Keyblade.

"I know you're a coward, but even cowards must face thier sorrow," Jason said. He tossed his Keyblade at me.

"Roy..." Jake muttered. "I know you can save him from the darkness if you try."

"I'm not sure."

"I... I want to help..." Jake said. "I want to fight alongside you."

"You know how I am," I said, turning back to the sphere. "I stand alone."

"You're not alone," Jake said. He handed me his sword... it was... a uniquely crafted broadsword, ornately decorated. Its edges were serrated.

"Jake."

"Yeah?"

"Everyone... thanks," I said, fusing all the blades. "Even though you won't be with me in body, our spirits will fight as one!"

"Whatever you say," Riku muttered.

**ROY'S ULTIMATE KEYBLADE - OMEGA WEAPON -**  
Roy's true ultimate weapon, a combination of seven blades and Keyblades, and a Keyblade in its own right. It is roughly the length of Roy's Masamune, but a bit thicker, with a serrated Key pattern. The metal is scarlet in hue, and the weapon itself contains the essence of pure light.

"I swear... by the strength you've lent me... I will save you. All of you."

I stepped into the sphere of darkness.

A harsh wave of cold blasted me. I kept struggling through the dark and cold until some light from Omega Weapon let me see. I was standing in a frozen wasteland; there was nothing but ice and shadow. The endless plain of ice was interrupted by only one thing; a man in a green trench coat.

I stepped toward him, hearing each step I took reverberate in the empty realm. I soon stood face-to-face with my older brother once more.

"You came alone? Why?" he asked.

"I've come for my atonement," I said to him. "I carry everything on my shoulders... the past, present, future, and the light."

"Ah," Lance remarked. "A new Keyblade."

"Tell me one thing," I said. "Tell me why it's so cold here."

"Heat comes from light," Lance said. "There is no light here... save the light in your Keyblade. If it were not for that cursed weapon, you would have frozen to death long ago."

"Is this Hell?" I asked.

"You could say that," Lance said.

I could feel our auras clashing... electricity crackling... our wills fighting as we stood there. Darkness and Light struggled with each other, causing sparks to crackle in the air. We both stood in our fighting stances, our hands on the hilt of our swords. We stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

I made a lightning fast charge; so fast it was impossible to see. Lance reacted, blocking my blow and sending out a shockwave of force that sent aside the falling snow.

We stood there for a moment.

"Is that all?" Lance asked snidely.

I jumped back, making hand seals, then unleashed a Bloody Raikiri. I charged forward with Omega Weapon and my Raikiri, making several thrust attacks to lower Lance's guard, then thrusting my Bloody Raikiri at his heart.

Lance grabbed my wrist, twisting it almost to the breaking point.

"That IS all..." Lance said. "And here you said you were going to take me down."

I grunted and growled in pain. He released me.

"Well... I suppose it's time to end this."

Lance moved at lightspeed, making dozens of attacks which I could barely keep up with. He did get a small stroke into my left shoulder.

I staggered back.

"You think I'm done yet?" I asked, lifting Omega Weapon with my bloody arm. "You obviously don't know what I've been through."

"I know all that you've been through," he answered.

"No..." I said, "you don't."

I readied Omega Weapon, drawing my wild aura about me. It materialized itself around Omega Weapon.

"What is this?" Lance asked. "That red aura... what are you doing?"

"Showing you... brother... what I've been through."

My aura began to drip blood. I used that aura to dash forward at speeds greater than light, scoring a few hits before I was knocked back. I skidded, coming to a stop, then got back on my feet. I looked up at Lance, who had taken a few good hits to his torso. Not only were they bleeding, but because of my aura, he apparently couldn't heal it with the darkness.

"You... you're not human," he said. "Humans can't manipulate auras like that."

"A lot of people have questioned just what I am," I said solemly. "No matter what they say, I've always held on to a shred of my humanity. Even if I had to loan my soul to the darkness, I always kept my true self."

"Your true self?" Lance asked rhetorically. "Don't make me laugh. Your true self is a demon."

"Perhaps so."

I felt my powers ascend to the Demon Form.

"But then again..." I muttered, "A demon possesses celestial powers... maybe enough to take you down."

My aura was now surging around me, causing blood to rain down with each step I took. I walked up to Lance slowly, until I was just the right distance for a batto-jutsu. I made the moves, then did it...

My blow struck air.

I closed my eyes and slowly readied myself, taking in a deep breath to keep up with the oncoming onslaught.

I quickly parried a blow to my left, then slashed, striking air again. I wheeled around, attempting to get Lance with my sideswing, but only missed. I jumped back, barely managing to catch a glimpse of Lance. My next blow would have cleaved him in two, but he dodged it. I managed to counter the oncoming parry, pushing Lance back, until he disappeared again.

I was out of breath from that move...

_I see even your true self has limits_, Lance's ethereal voice taunted.

"Maybe..." I muttered, gasping, "but everything has its limits."

_Not the darkness..._

I growled and looked up, barely managing to parry Lance's stroke before he disappeared again. I flared out my bloody aura, increasing my powers more, then struck my blade into the ground. A huge aura field spread out from me, drenching the ice in blood. From that, I was able to see Lance's attack just before he readied it, and sidestepped to dodge the blow. I whacked him in the back of the head with the serrated end of Omega Weapon.

He disappeared again.

"Give it up," I muttered, exhausted but still standing, raidiating an aura of blood. "My bloody aura will detect you before you can make a move."

_You can't win_, Lance called out. _Your light isn't powerful enough._

I laughed.

"Is that what this is about?" I asked, panting. "I thought you knew... this is about our pasts. We are related by blood, you know."

_Blood ties mean nothing_, Lance said. _I've got blood ties elsewhere I have to protect._

"At what cost?" I asked.

An icy wind blew past me.

I swiveled around to parry a blow intended to decapitate me. Lance and I stood there for a few moments, looking in each other's eyes with our cold, steely resolves. He was as determined as I was...

I slowly lowered my blade. Lance did the same.

"The light isn't infinite, Roy," he taunted. "You can't win."

"I'll forge my own destiny," I told him. "I don't care about the past anymore. I'm fighting for the future."

I flared my aura out as much as possible. An aura of darkness, combined with dark spheres, began to flow around Lance.

"If this is the way it must be... then so be it!" I shouted.

"It ends here, one way or the other!" Lance shouted.

We dashed forward, putting all of our strength into the blow. We groaned and pushed forward, our blades clashing in a thunderous roar that melted some of the ice. I was pushing forward with all of my strength, but Lance was slowly pushing me back...

Not soon after, I was at the very edge of the ice sheet.

"See what your light gets you?" Lance asked. "I'm far more powerful than you. Even if you had the True Light, it wouldn't be enough."

I hung my head and closed my eyes.

"You say your power is too much?" I asked solemnly, using all of my strength to stop from being thrown out. "Power is good... but you're blind. Raw power is no match... for true strength."

I felt myself become stronger, somehow...

Now I began to push Lance back. He seemed distracted by something. We reached the center before he jumped back.

"Your aura... it's not dripping blood any more," Lance commented. "And... it's yellow now."

I looked down at my hand, which was now covered in a yellow aura.

"Maybe. But I still haven't atoned... not until you're dead," I said. "You're the biggest threat to light and... life. I won't let it end in darkness and ruin."

"You just don't get it, do you?" Lance asked. "Light has no purpose without darkness. If you purify all of the darkness, life will fade. You're just as much of a threat as I am."

"Many people have told me many times that without darkness, light has no meaning, and therefore can't exist," I said to him. "That may be true, but... I'll take my chances."

"Such a fool," Lance uttered.

We dashed forward and clashed again; this time, I was using my full strength, not holding back like usual. We were about equal, but after about a minute of struggling, I began to slowly push him back. Slowly, my speed began to increase, until I had pushed him back to the edge. I sent him falling over the edge. I didn't here a death scream, so I knew he wasn't dead, and jumped off after him.

He met my clash, this time melting more of Hell's ice. We struggled, but I jumped back. I noticed human heads sitting in the ice.

"Come on, show me what your 'true strength' can do," Lance mocked. I flared out my aura again, and he met it with his darkness.

We blasted each other with lightspeed strokes, and I began to use new light techniques... Light Spiraling Sphere, Shining Lightning Blade, and Moon Slicing Waves. Even with these new moves, we struggled, and the ice began to melt.

I stood knee-deep in ice water from Hell's ice.

"I see... your real strength isn't massive power... it's strength and the ability to assess your opponent's abilities as a battle goes on," Lance muttered. "You learn fast."

"True," I said, making hand seals. "Now, watch me! Shining Lightning Blade!"

A Lightning Blade enhanced by my new light aura formed and crackled in my right hand. I charged forward with my Shinkogan, using them so that I wouldn't get hit and die. The beeline attack connected, and Lance was pierced in the heart with my Shining Lightning Blade.

I stepped back, vaporizing the blood on my hand using a little more energy. Lance staggered back, but eventually regained his composure.

"Sorry... koff... but my aura softened that blow. You can't win that easily," he sneered.

I scoffed.

We moved again, making superlightspeed strokes that were nearly impossible to dodge. I blended Light Spiraling Spheres and Shining Lightning Blades into my moves. I took a few little scratches, as did Lance, but it was nothing more than a stalemate.

We jumped back.

"If this is all your fault, Lance," I said with resolve, "then I pity you."

"I don't need your pity," Lance said. "You're a fool to pity someone like me in single combat."

"Lance..." I said sadly. "If this is the way it must be..."

I unleashed Omega Weapon's secondary abilities, causing it to become segmented and serrated all over. I felt myself become even stronger, maybe enough to match Lance's power. More of Hell's ice melted, leaving me knee-deep in ice water.

We dashed forward and clashed again, struggling with all of our being. We struggled, pushing back and forth, until I began to give a little. Stopping in the water, I pushed back with all of my might, until Lance began to give. I shoved him off, then swung Omega Weapon's released form...

The blade broke into pieces, which sliced him a few times, then came back and reformed Omega Weapon.

"So... that's what happened," Lance snickered, walking up to me. Our auras clashed and raged, sening out sparks of lightning. "You changed it... it's an all-weapon, capable of striking from any distance for any amount of damage on any part of the body."

I scoffed.

"You think it's that simple?" I asked. "Try me."

He dashed forward over the ice water, and I scattered Omega Weapon. I was able to use the hilt to parry his strokes while he tried to kill me. I was able to keep up, but his coat was soon shredded and he was littered with cuts.

We jumped back, and Omega Weapon reformed.

"You're powerful, I'll admit that," Lance said. "Your variety of skills is so wide you can counter any situation. But one thing you can't match is my raw power."

His dark aura increased even more. I struggled to stand, and kneeled down as he flash stepped and knocked me up into the air. He began knocking me around... as if to mock me... then knocked me back into the now-freezing water. I was frozen into the ice, though my arms were still free.

"And so it ends," Lance muttered. He held his dark blade at level to decapitate me.

"Awaken, Omega Weapon!" I shouted. The weapon glowed and, in a flash of smoke, a huge, roaring creature appeared. It was black, with four legs and even two arms, and was not unlike a demon in its facial appearance.

"You just keep upping the ante," Lance muttered. "Even that power isn't enough... it calls on the darkness."

"I'll purify it, so that this will be the end!" I shouted, releasing my aura. Omega Weapon's released form became white, and settled down. "Go, Omega!"

The creature now charged at Lance, spitting blasts of white energy. I dismounted it and attempted hand-to-hand combat. Thanks to my abilities, I was able to keep up, even using my bare fists to block hits. Omega Weapon attacked with its hands, claws, and energy blasts, but it was a slow creature; Lance was easily able to dodge its strikes. Fortunately, thanks to Omega Weapon distracting him, I was able to get in a good few hits, causing him to go flying backwards. I reformed Omega Weapon into its initial form.

Lance got to his feet on the far side of the ice. Before I could react, he flash stepped and stuck me in the chest with his sword. I staggered back, pulling the blade out and tossing it onto the cold ice.

I promply dropped to my knees.

"Am I... being defeated?" I asked, barely able to stand.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked. "Come on, get up! You can do better than that!"

I growled as I staggered to my feet, then flared my aura out as much as possible. I also pulled out Omega Weapon, and stylishly got into a charging stance. Lance summoned his sword, then mirrored my stance. The darkness he was spewing forth was unbearable; even though I had suffered grievous injuries during our battle, my inability to stay standing was entirely because of his shadow aura. I dropped to my knee for a moment, then regained my resolve and stood back up.

"Let's finish this, Lance," I called out. "I have to stop you, even if that means killing you."

We dashed forward, forcing our way through each other's auras. Lightning storms raged and crackled as our blades met, blasting each other with power and aura. We struggled again, locked in a contest of strength. He began to push forward, but I found my resolve, and pushed back. He kept on struggling, and managed to push me back. We stood deadlocked in the center, with Hell's ice melting all around us. The force of our auras made sure we didn't get wet; soon we had melted the layer of ice and were free-falling down to another layer of Hell.

We continued struggling with all of our force, causing even this layer of Hell to begin melting. Our auras clashed and roiled, sending out destructive blasts of lightning and wind. Ice flew up all over the place, stinging my eyes. As our clash drove on, I noticed the sky changing colors and the ice beginning to fold over on itself...

Time and space are being torn apart by the sheer force of our clash, I thought to myself. Just how inhumanly powerful are we...?

So much ice had been kicked up that it was forming irregular clouds of diamond dust near our feet.

I felt my arms starting to give out...

"Lance, enough," I muttered, hearing my voice warped by the space-time anomalies. "This is too dangerous... if we go on like this, neither of us will live to see tomorrow."

"You're right," Lance muttered, closing his eyes.

Before I could react, Lance had flash stepped...

and...

stabbed me...

in the back...

I gasped, staggering as Lance stuck me in the back over and over with his back turned to me the whole time. I began spitting up blood, but still managed to stay on my feet. I heard Lance walking away.

"So... this is the best the light can do? I'm disappointed," Lance taunted. "Knowing you're a hero of some sort, I thought you'd be a more worthy opponent. But I was wrong."

_How... did I lose?_ I asked myself, standing half-dead._ I was in the right... I had the power of light... how could I..._

"You fought with courage, wisdom, and power," Lance said. "You died with honor here. Your power was truly commendable... but in the end, it just wasn't enough."

"You... you..." I gasped.

"Don't worry. I'll purify the world... but not the way you wanted it to be," Lance said. "The darkness will reign supreme!"

I felt myself begin to fall, but steadied myself with Omega Weapon.

"I... I'm not done... koff... with you... koff... yet..." I grunted, unable to stay on my feet without Omega Weapon.

"Oh, you're quite done," Lance muttered. "You were strong, swift, and had more abilities than I was aware of, but in the end, the only thing that is left for you is to die in the frozen wastes of Hell, devoid of any friends or comfort. Such is the path you chose... hero."

"My... koff... path..." I muttered as my vision started to get blurry.

"Your courage won't do you any good," Lance said. "Your arrogance has been your undoing."

He flash stepped in front of me.

"So farewell... brother," Lance said with disgust. He moved to decapitate me...

I ducked just in time.

"Hmph... resilent as ever," Lance muttered. He moved to slice me in two across the head...

I raised my spare hand to block it with the adrenaline coursing through my body.

"Give up. It's over!" Lance shouted.

"No... not yet," I gasped.

"It was over the moment you begged for it to be," he taunted. "You asked for atonement, and so you shall have it. The only way to atone for your sins... is payment in the form of your life."

He began stabbing me in the chest. I couldn't count how many times he stabbed me, but I grunted and gasped each time, losing my breath as I felt my lungs get punctured. I was still standing when he was done, but was breathing very haggardly and barely on my feet.

"You're durable, I'll give you that," Lance admitted. "There's one reason you could never beat me, though. It's because..."

He picked me up by my shirt, putting his mouth right by my ear.

"...you lack hatred." he sneered.

Lance threw me down onto the ice, then walked away. I lost consciousness... or died... soon after...


	70. Ex 4: Death and Rebirth

**Exception 4: Death and Rebirth**

I don't know how long I was out... or even how I'd managed to survive... but I came to some time later. My grievous wounds had not healed, but I wasn't dead... somewhere in-between...

_In limbo...?_

I staggered to my feet, still feeling exhausted from my battle. The fact that I had fought for at least an hour straight and suffered wounds enough to kill a normal man didn't help. All I had was Omega Weapon... even my strength had abandoned me...

"Roy!" I heard someone familiar shouting. "Are you okay?"

"Roy... yes, that was my name, once," I answered.

"Once?" another voice asked.

"I'm not deserving of a name," I muttered. "A faithless sinner like me... one who failed his duty and betrayed his promise..."

I staggered off, feeling sharp cold.

"Come back, Roy!" the first voice shouted.

"Shut up!" I yelled, staggering off. "I wouldn't expect you to understand... 'cuz some wounds will never heal."

I staggered off, ignoring thier pleas for me to stop. I lurched on, hanging my head and dragging Omega Weapon behind me. I heard a creature roaring.

"Hmph," I muttered. "Nothing."

I looked up with the same sullen look I'd kept on my face since I was... defeated. A red dragon stood before me.

"You... a creature of the dark," I muttered, keeping Omega Weapon behind me. I attacked it a few times with flash steps, blinding the creature. I was knocked back by its flame breath.

"That... doesn't hurt..." I grunted. It didn't... but the force knocked me back.

"Hey, leave some for me!" a familiar voice shouted. "You can't have ALL the fun!"

_Jason..._

"Stand back. You need to rest," another voice muttered. "You've been trying to hard."

_Riku..._

"Stay back. I don't want you guys... to get hurt..." I grunted.

The dragon roared at me... us...

I flash stepped out of the way of a flame breath, then landed on top of the creature and began to stab it through its carapace; it seemed Omega Weapon could slice through armor.

_It was a divine weapon, after all..._

The dragon thrashed, and I heard sounds of other slices. I flash stepped off of the dragon to see Jason and Riku slicing its sides. The dragon soon fell dead.

"Nothing to it!" Jason shouted.

I began limping forward.

"Hey, wait!" Riku called out.

I stopped for a moment.

"I don't have time to wait... gotta... kill... Lance..." I muttered, then kept staggering off, ignoring thier cries.

"Just... shut the hell up!" I shouted back at them. I came to a round platform. Once I had made it in, gates fell down, and another creature roared in the distance.

"Pretty... tenacious..." I muttered to myself. "But it... doesn't matter."

A demonic horse had appeared before me... its mane and breath was fire.

"Nightmare..." I muttered. It flash stepped and kicked me in the chest, and I staggered back, spitting up blood.

"I'm not... done, ... yet..." I muttered, readying Omega Weapon. I flash stepped on top of it and repeatedly stuck it with Omega Weapon before being knocked off and kicked into the gate.

I spat up more blood, then staggered to my feet, dragging my arms up along with Omega Weapon.

"Is... is that... koff... all?" I asked.

"That's enough, Roy," someone familiar called out. "Stand down."

_Sora..._

"Stop trying so hard. Ya know, you're bound to die of you keep trying so hard... by yourself," someone else called out.

_Jake..._

The Nightmare whinnied at us.

I flash stepped to kill it, but was knocked aside by the simple turn of its head. Sora and Jake had better luck... getting a few nicks in on its legs... then jumped back.

I coughed up more blood.

"Stop... this is... my fight..." I gasped, then staggered to my feet.

I flash stepped to decapitate the Nightmare, this time killing it flawlessly. After that, I continued staggering forward. The gates had been... knocked down...

"Wait! You're so battered and beat up... rest!" Jake cried.

"No time... venegance..." I grunted, staggering on, still ignoring their calls to stop. I kept spitting up blood as I went on, eventually stopping at a large gate. The gate in question crumbled, and a huge manticore came out. I heard a gate behind me clank shut.

I flash stepped to kill it, but was punched and kicked back, spitting up blood. I staggered to my feet and charged at it, but was knocked back against the gate. I fell down... tried to get up... but my strength had failed...

All of a sudden, I felt better... my strength was returning...

"That's enough. You need to rest," a familiar voice called.

"Amy..." I managed to whisper.

My strength was back, but I... I...

The manticore roared. Amy and I used flash steps to overwhelm it, then sliced it to pieces, bringing it to the ground. I stepped back.

"Rest, Roy," Amy told me.

"Amy... I'm sorry..." I muttered.

"Why?" she asked.

"I failed as a guardian... I failed as a hero... I failed at life..." I muttered. "I don't deserve to have... friends like... you guys..."

"That's... not true," Jason said. I turned around to see all of them... Sora, Riku, Jake, Jason, Kairi, Serenity... and... Amy...

"You guys..." I muttered. "I..."

"Enough," Sora said. "We've still got a job to do."

"No... it's my job. It's... my fault..." I muttered.

"We're doing this together," Sora said.

"No... I have to... go it alone..." I muttered.

"Fine. We'll just go along with you by ourselves," Amy said.

_I guess... it's okay to bring them along._

"You guys are really adamant about this, huh?" I asked with a smile. "Fine. We'll go together."

"Right!" everyone shouted.

"Don't take so much on you shoulders at once," Riku told me. "If you do... you could fall into darkness."

It's too late for that, but I...

"Let's go!" I shouted, smashing down the gate, and stepping into the World of Darkness...

**WHY ROY IS STILL ABLE TO WIELD OMEGA WEAPON WHILE THE OTHERS HOLD THIER SWORDS AND KEYBLADES, AS WELL AS WHY HE IS STILL ALIVE AFTER BEING KILLED**

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

The reason is complicated. When he fused the Keyblades into Omega Weapon, they became bound to his soul, which had yet to die. He did technically die; however, the light of his friends' hearts resurrected him, and, though his soul was destroyed (the soul he borrowed from a dying Nobody), he still had his original soul, contained within Oryx, which was obscured by his borrowed one. The Keyblades then returned to their owners; however, his soul hung onto a fragment of their Keyblades, which allowed him to keep Omega Weapon as a non-fused Keyblade (Amy also uses her katana, not her sakaboto, during these fights).


	71. Ex 5: Union of Light and Darkness

**Exception 5: Union of Light and Darkness**

The world we had stepped into was very different from the dungeon we had emerged from. We stood on nothing more than a massive, floating crystal platform. There were four directions to go off in; notheast, northwest, southwest, and southeast.

"So... which way?" Sora asked.

"There's a rune underneath our feet," I noticed. "We... can't use it right now."

"Suppose we'll have to beat monsters at the end of each path..." Jason grumbled.

"Oh, shut up!" Jake shouted, whacking him on the head with the end of his sword.

"Amy... let's take the southwest path," I suggested. "Everyone else, choose a path and a partner... and move out!"

Amy and I dashed down the southwest path, hearing footsteps behind us. We soon began zig-zagging through a maze-like crystal path, slaying Heartless along the way. We reached the end where a black crystal floated just above the path.

"This is... crystallized darkness," I noted, chipping it with Omega Weapon. I took a fragment of it in my hand, then tossed it aside. "Come out! We know you're there!"

A huge behemoth Heartless appeared, barely managing to fit on the platform. This one was different, though... it was a bit more demonic than the usual behemoth, probably thanks to the dark crystal. Its claws and horns were spiraled, and its teeth were more numerous and jagged. It also had a red and black carapace.

The behemoth roared at us.

We flash stepped onto its back, slicing at it. The behemoth shook us off, blasting at me with a beam of energy from its mouth. I pushed myself aside with a bit of aura, then ground Omega Weapon into the crystal platform to evade falling into the dark cloud beneath me.

I clambered back onto the platform, then rolled to avoid being trampled by the behemoth. I then flash stepped onto its back to attack its horn. After a few good hits, it began shaking, but I snagged one of its horns and held on. I couldn't avoid the energy blast it shot from its horns, though...

I landed on the platform and flash stepped back onto its back, attacking its horn again. It seemed distracted, and soon, its horn broke off and the behemoth dissipated. I landed on my feet, albeit roughly.

"One down," I muttered, noticing Amy coming over.

She distracted it...

"Well... let's go," I said to her, breaking the dark crystal with Omega Weapon. "We need to get back... with any luck, the others have destroyed the other dark crystals, as well."

"Roy."

"What?"

"Roy... I..." Amy stuttered.

I turned around.

"We should get going," I said.

"Right..." she replied slowly and... sadly...

We dashed off, soon returing to the terminus. The others soon arrived, a bit more battered than we were, but just fine.

"Okay. The rune should be working now. Focus your will into it!" I shouted. The rune glowed, and we were teleported away.

We appeared on top of the Memory's Skyscraper in the World that Never Was.

"So... he's on top of the world, in the place closest to the Realm of Darkness," Sora muttered.

"Let's go! We'll storm the castle!" Riku shouted. We all jumped down, charging toward the castle. We forced our way through the castle, slaying the thousands of Heartless that appeared to challenge us. In the Hall of Empty Melodies, I stopped suddenly, sensing something. Everyone else ran forward.

_Roy._

"What is it... Ansem?" I asked.

_In your journeys, surely you have found something you are unsure of._

"What of it?" I asked.

_Cast aside those doubts. Don't fear your darkness._

"There is someone whose word I don't completely trust. That's all... but she's dead now, so it doesn't matter."

_All things matter. No fate is a coincidence._

"Whatever," I muttered, charging on. I caught up fast enough not to worry anyone, and we continued charging forward. Soon, after much hardship, we made it to the Altar of Naught.

Lance stood in his black trenchcoat with his back turned to us.

"So... you're still alive, and still foolish enough to challenge me," he said with his back turned. "To come against me again, even with your freinds for support... you've sealed your own fate."

"No... you're wrong," I muttered. "They're my friends... and I am their friend. We'll win together, or together we'll fall!"

Lance turned around. His eyes were... yellow...

_A mark of darkness..._

"You're the fool," Sora told him. "You thought darkness was the only way?"

"You could never understand," Lance told him, sounding angry.

"No matter what, you always had a choice," Sora said. "No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within."

"Wise words," Lance laughed. "Unfortunately, the inverse is also true. No matter how pure the light, there is always a dark taint within it."

"Oh?" Sora asked.

"That's right. Observe," he said. He clenched his hand and pointed it at me. I began to feel... wierd...

"You see... even heroes have shadows," he said. I looked at my hands and... a dark aura was flowing out of them. I began to feel overwhelmed by rage...

I savagely attacked Lance, wildly swinging Omega Weapon at him. Before I could get to the top of the steps, the others restrained me.

"Roy! What's going on...?" Amy asked.

"You see? Darkness is within all of us. It is futile to try and... erase it," Lance taunted. The others let me go.

"I'm not trying to erase the darkness," I said. "Just wipe out all traces of it existing outside of our hearts, and wash it from our Realm of Light."

"You're too much of a romantic," Lance muttered. He summoned a dark Keyblade. "Very well. I shall end your life here and now... and this time, expect zero mercy."

He blasted out that same massive dark aura he'd used during the finale of our last battle, but I was able to stand it this time, though just barely. Everyone else was able to weather it, as well.

"Sora! Riku! Amy! Jason! Jake! Kairi! Serenity!" I shouted. "You know what to do!"

"Right!" everyone shouted, channeling their energies into each other. I felt the Drive, and ascended to the ultimate... Twilight Seraph.

Our blades met in mid-flash step.

"So... you're relying on your friends' power? How pathetic," Lance muttered.

"I... no, WE won't falter," I said with resolve.

We began flying around the Castle, attacking each other at breakneck speeds. He began pelting me with dark magic, but I countered with aura shields and Omega Weapon. Our blades met above the Hall of Empty Melodies, breaking the windows. We continued our duel, blasting each other with aura and Keyblade strokes, despite not landing a hit.

"Is that all you've got, even with your friends? I'm disappointed," Lance muttered, pausing for a moment.

"I have not yet begun to fight!" I shouted, drawing aura about myself.

"How cliché," Lance muttered.

We dashed forward and clashed our Keyblades together. Lance flew off, and I followed. After clashing in the air a few times, along with a few breakneck parries, we settled on the interior of the Hall of Empty Melodies, with me having knocked Lance through the broken window.

We met each other's gaze on opposite sides of the Hall.

"Is that all you got?" I asked him.

"Shut... up..." he muttered, breating quite haggardly. "You think you're in the right? That your crusade has any meaning in the long run?"

"It doesn't matter," I said. "As long as my light tells me to do this, I will!"

"You're not fighting by your own power," Lance said. "Even if you win, you won't be satisfied. Your darkness won't be satisfied."

I charged at him, enraged. He parried my blow, and we began flash stepping around the castle, parrying each other's blows as fast as possible. We finally settled atop the Altar of Naught.

"Come on! Let's end this!" I shouted. He readied his Keyblade while I readied mine. We charged at each other again, swinging with all of our force. I had even channeled all of my aura into it, and...

I staggered a bit, but I heard Lance fall over. Just then, the Mega Drive failed.

Everyone reappeared just behind me, on the steps to the Altar.

"So, what now, Lance?" I asked. "You're injured, and it's seven on one. There's no way you can win."

"Maybe so... but..." Lance wheezed, "I alone am far more powerful than the seven of you apart. So... let's end this in a manner most befitting light and darkness."

With some effort, Lance summoned a dark corridor and staggered through it. We tried to follow, but the portal vanished into wisps of shadow before anyone could get through.

"Damn it! Where'd he go?" Jake asked.

"I can sort of... feel him..." I muttered. "His aura... it's faint, but I can trace it."

"So, we'll go finish it!" Amy shouted.

"...no. **WE** won't," I said solemnly. "I'll finish him."

"Roy... I thought..." Amy began.

"You guys... I know you're my friends. I know I can rely on you. I know you're there for me, and that our spirits fight as one. But this is something I must do alone."

"Roy..." Jake muttered.

"I understand you want to help. But... this is my story, and only two people can end one person's story; the person in question and their nemesis. Lance... is both my brother and my nemesis," I said. "I'll go fight him. It's the destiny I've chosen. I know I'm not alone... not anymore. Even so, this is my fight and my fight alone."

"I... We understand," Amy said.

"Thanks... I won't be alone," I muttered, clenching my fist. I channeled my darkness... and... forced open a dark corridor.

"Whoa! What's up with the dark portal?" Sora asked.

"That leads to something I'm getting before that. Worry about me. Lend me your strength," I said. "You know I'll need it."

I stepped through the dark portal to the control room of Hollow Bastion, then grabbed Oryx's armor. I donned the heavy armor, but it didn't restrict my movement any longer.

"After training in such heavy garments," I muttered, hearing my voice reverberate within the helmet, "I suppose it's natural."

After putting on the heavy armor, I opened another dark corridor.

"This one... will take me to wherever he's fled to," I muttered to myself. "I don't know where that is... but for everyone's sake, I'll end it."

Hearing my armor clank, I stepped through the dark portal...


	72. Final: Sealed Truth and Altered Fate

**Final Chapter: Sealed Truth and Altered Fate**

Through the dark portal I found myself standing on a barren desert plain. There was nothing around, save for a few crags and shrubs.

"Is this... where he fled to?" I asked myself. "There's nothing here."

I kept walking until I reached the center of the plane. Something... illusory, like sand, blew around. Then, I knew where I was. There were countless Keyblades in every direction, with four paths leading to where I stood.

"This is... that Keyblade Graveyard?!" I shouted.

"Right... the place most befitting battles between Keyblade masters," I heard Lance say. I turned around to see him standing in his black coat. "Ah, you even came in the proper attire of a hero. How touching."

"What... are you talking about?" I asked.

"Oh...? You don't know the truth about this place?" he asked me.

"I know people once congregated here. They were... puppets of the darkness," I said. "Senka controlled them and led them into battle with Xehanort and two other righteous Keyblade masters, and somehow they fought to a stalemate. Then Senka took him and... erased his memories with one of the pods in the Twilight Town mansion's basement."

Lance laughed.

"You know... everything Senka told you was a lie," Lance said gravely.

"What?!" I shouted.

"It's not her fault... you see, the truth was sealed away, never to be remembered. The truth about this place, this... graveyard, was erased from the memories of those who knew of it," Lance told me. "The history of this place, which is written in blood and darkness."

"The truth about this place..." I muttered to myself.

"Would you like me to tell you the truth?" Lance asked.

I shook my head.

"No. If the truth were sealed away, I think it would be sealed away for a good reason," I said with resolve. "I'd rather not know something that isn't for me to know."

I readied Omega Weapon.

"If this is the battleground most befitting Keyblade masters, then let's allow it to fulfill its purpose┘ brother," I said gravely.

A strong wind blew by us. I could hear it howling against my armor.

I ran at Lance, hearing my cape flutter as I dashed forward. Before I was even within striking distance, he raised himself up on a plateau out of the ground with naught but a flick of his wrist.

"So, you still think you can defy your fate? That the True Light exists? That you've wiped clean your slate of destiny, simply by overpowering Charon so long ago? You've still got a lot to learn... brother."

He whirled his hand around a few times, and the sky turned black. Tornadoes began swirling around, pulling up the stray Keyblades.

_I can't defy my fate... the True Light doesn't exist... I haven't been forging my own destiny?_

I began to jump up pieces of falling debris, and though my armor hampered my movement, I made it up with little difficulty, despite being pelted with fire magic. I clambered to the top, then stood up to face Lance.

I dashed at him again, and using Omega Weapon and his... dark Keyblade we fought at breakneck speeds. He even began using flash steps, but thanks to my armor, the blows took a few strokes to break through the armor. He knocked me off of the plateau, and I did my best to grab onto the rocky outcroppings. I managed to do so just before slamming into the ground, and with that, my helmet came flying off.

I staggered to my feet, picking Omega Weapon up along the way. I shot a blast of aura at Lance, but he protected him self with Protega.

_Damn. More magic._

I began running up the plateau vertically, shedding pieces of my armor to help increase my speed. It helped, but I needed a burst of aura to clear the top. Lance knocked me down with his Keyblade just as I reached the top. I was knocked back down, and Lance followed. We battled at breakneck speeds in the air, but I managed to land on my feet, suspending Lance in the air with Omega Weapon meeting his Keyblade. I tossed him into the air, then jumped to follow.

We clashed a few more times in the air, but Lance soon returned to his position atop the plateau. I jumped up after him, but a massive boulder fell as I leaped up. I used the last of my aura to perform a flash jump and avoid the boulder. I then kept running up, and thanks to my lack of armor, got up without the help of my aura. I rushed at him again, but still we parried at breakneck speeds.

We clashed with massive force in the center of the plateau. Lance jumped back, raising another plateau. I stared up at him and the dark sky.

On my approach, I spiraled around the plateau instead of running straight up it. I made it halfway around, then went vertical, trying to decapitate him from behind.

He flash stepped...

and grabbed me by the throat.

"You pathetic excuse for a warrior. You may look like a warrior, you may fight like a warrior, you may talk like a warrior. In the end, though, all you are is a coward who can't bring his friends with him into battle... because he knows he can't protect them," Lance sneered. "You could never beat me."

I kicked him in the face, and he staggered back, letting me go. I stepped back, gasping for air.

"I... won't falter," I gasped. "I... won't fail."

"You're stupid. You think you can avoid your fate... atone for your sins by defeating me? Even if you did, the light wouldn't return like you want. What do you believe? Light is just?" he asked.

"Light is neither just nor evil, just like the darkness," I muttered. "It's what you do with that light or darkness that determines its properties."

We dashed at each other again, going into a series of breakneck parries and blows, eventually whirring our blades around before clashing them together. After a few moments of struggling against him, I jumped back for a brief respite. Unfortunately, Lance didn't have that in mind. He rose himself up on another plateau, then jumped back down at me. Just after regaining my breath, he knocked me off of the plateau and slammed me into the ground.

I staggered to my feet, then looked to the dark sky. Lance was standing there with a sphere of darkness in his hand, and shot it into the sky.

_Whatever he's doing, I've got to stop it!_

Using my life force, I flash jumped up the plateaus just in time to knock the dark sphere back to the ground before it broke through the clouds.

I freefell to the ground. After a few moments, I staggered to my feet, even though my legs felt like they were made of jelly and my left eye wouldn't open all the way. Lance teleported in front of me.

"So... what are you running on now? I know you're out of aura and now you're using your life force to fuel you moves..." Lance sneered, "but if you keep using it like that, you'll die without me having to lift a finger."

I tried my best to lift Omega Weapon, but to no avail.

"So... farewell, hero," he muttered. "I'm sorry you didn't get to realize your fate."

Lance gathered another dark sphere in his hand.

"**DARK PHENOMENON!!!**"

Lance blasted me with the dark sphere. All I could see was shadow... darkness... and then searing pain...

I don't know why I didn't die in that pitch black void, but the light returned after minutes of agony. I stood hunched and lost of my will to fight...

"Now, before you die, I shall tell you the meaining of your worthless and sin-scarred existence," Lance proclaimed. He held out his hand, curled his fingers and...

I felt... empty inside...

I lifted my head to see him holding my... my heart...

"See this?" he asked, pointing to a diagonal gash of black on my heart. "This... is the scar your sins have left on your heart. The wound your darkness has left within you. This..."

He pointed to a small red crescent in my heart.

"... is a collection of physical wounds you've sustained that won't heal, like the wounds on your hand and nose. These are ... wounds of the heart."

He tossed my heart back at me, and I felt whole again, but still... devoid of will to fight...

"You konw, you haven't changed your fate at all," Lance sneered. "You've only delayed the inevitable... the inevitable fate that awaits you, Sora, and those aligned with you two┘ after all, fates are necessary, even the fates of the damned."

I staggered forward a step.

"Still not giving up, even though you're as good as dead? You're awfully tenacious," he joked. "You've been fun, but now it's over."

He pulled his serrated, black Keyblade out.

"Farewell," Lance said coldly.

I lifted Omega Weapon to block the hit with some... sort of... newfound strength...

"What?!" Lance shouted over the clang of our Keyblades.

"I think I realized something... the main thing that's been holding me back all this time!" I shouted. "I... needed to forgive... myself!"

I shoved Lance into the plateau, and then lunged at him, performing another set of breakneck parries and strokes.

Lance and I jumped back from a loud clash.

"This power... it's not your aura, life-force, or celestial power! What is this?" Lance shouted.

"It's the strength of my heart," I said with resolve.

He teleported atop the plateau. Unburdened by guilt, I began to use this strength of my heart to flash jump up top. When I reached it, we began parrying and attacking with flash steps, with intermittent bits of breakneck speeds. He even began using profuse magic, from blasts of fire and ice to protective barriers.

We stepped back, breathing heavily. My left arm had been numbed by frost magic, and my body otherwise was a bit numb thanks to thunder magic. On the other hand, I'd finally managed to make a couple of good strokes on Lance, cutting his right arm and left knee.

"Is that all you've got?" I asked, breathing heavily. "Is that the best the darkness can do?"

"Not... by a long shot," Lance muttered. He flared out a dark aura, and I was blown off of the plateau. I went falling down the plateau, grinding into it as I fell. A huge chunk of it fell off, but I flash jumped around it again. I then kept flash jumping until I got back to the top, where Lance was still emitting his dark aura.

"So, is this the power of darkness? How about you use that level you used in Hell?" I sneered.

Lance smirked and used the same level he had used in Hell. I stood my ground this time, and wasn't blown off, then began using flash steps to counter his moves, which were all the same speed as flash steps; that level I just can't keep up with. He... grabbed me by my throat again, but wasn't choking me, and made sure to distance himself enough.

"A hero... is that what you are? Truly... you fight me with all that you are, but someone with a bloodstained soul cannot be called... a hero..." he muttered to himself.

"I'm not a hero, and I don't pretend to be one," I said to him. "Others may call me 'hero,' but in my heart I know I'm not deserving of such a mantle. Hitokiri is more appropriate."

"Manslayer..." Lance muttered, dropping me. I stepped back.

"Are you really deserving of the title 'Dark Lord?'" I asked. "You're only trying to do what's right. Come back to the light. Let us... save you..."

"I don't deserve salvation," Lance muttered, looking down. "I've manipulated everything up to this moment. Everything that's happened to you... it's all my fault."

"Lance..." I said sadly, "nobody is beyond redemption. If I can be redeemed, someone with a bloodstained soul and tainted heart, then you can too. Let the light guide your path, and cast aside your shadow."

"The light can't give me what I need. I need... help for my wife and son. Your nephew, Roy..." Lance muttered, "could you live with yourself knowing you'd killed a brother, son, husband, and father?"

"I've committed far worse sins," I said, readying Omega Weapon. "Stand down... or else."

Lance smirked and readied his Keyblade. We flew into a series of breakneck attacks and parries, along with flash steps. He knocked me off of the plateau, then followed me down while riding a tornado. I did my best to parry his blows, but he was using flash blows, and I couldn't keep up. Falling to the ground and being slammed by the tornado, I managed to stagger to my feet again just in time to flash jump and stop Lance from shooting one of those Dark Phenomena into the sky again.

I managed to flash jump onto the plateau this time, then broke into another series of breakneck attacks and parries, eventually skidding onto the edge, as did Lance.

We lunged savagely at each other, clashing in another contest of power. I pushed him forward easily despite his overflowing darkness. He fell off of the plateau this time, but soon used the darkness to levitate.

"So... you're better than me now. So... how about this?" he asked, summoning another Dark Phenomenon. "Fade away into darkness."

The Dark Phenomenon grew to such a size that I couldn't dodge it even with a flash step. I looked on in horror as it grew even larger... possibly enough to destroy this world. Lance then compressed it to a size small enough that I could see him over the sphere.

"This will end it," he said with force, then launched the ball at me. I couldn't move...

The Dark Phenomenon hit me head on, and I felt myself... my heart and soul... being torn from me...

_Light, help me!_

Then _that_ power... the one that had helped me take down Amy... came...

A strong wind blew past us.

We blasted into flash strikes and parries, but never made a hit. I used a sphere of life force to blast him, knocking him off of the plateau. I followed, flash striking him on the way down, but barely landed on my feet. I was breathing heavily as Lance rose again, his dark aura flowing less now.

"You're not like everyone else... you're selfish and selfless at the same time," Lance said. "We... we're a lot alike."

"Don't say that," I said, disgusted. "I'm nothing like you."

We did another flash strike and parry set before stopping and stylishly readying our swords.

"I realized something," Lance said. "I hate you. I hate you so much..."

I scoffed.

"My hatred of you is eternal."

Lance gathered another Dark Phenomenon.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked. "I am the demonic angel, Roy Hartmut. I have slain billions in the name of justice. I am called 'hero,' but deserve to be called 'hitokiri.' My soul is stained with the blood of innocents, and can never be cleansed. My darkness is as deep as the sea, but I haven't given in to hate or despair."

"If you can't let go of your darkness," Lance sneered, "you'll never beat me."

We blasted into breakneck attacks and parries, mixed with flash steps and strikes, then stopped atop the plateau.

"I'm done with this fight," I muttered, flaring out what aura I had left. "Let's end it now!"

"So be it," Lance said, flaring out his dark aura to its limit. I stood strong this time.

We moved to clash, but I flash stepped around Lance and struck him in the back. Lance whirled around and struck me in my left arm, but I countered the stroke with a swing to his feet. Lance stumbled over, and just as I was about to drive Omega Weapon through his heart, he flash stepped. I looked around and sensed him just in time to avoid being decapitated, then kicked him square in the chest.

Lance recovered in midair, then lunged at me. I blocked and threw him over the edge of the plateau, then jumped down after him. I slammed him into the ground with a whirling stroke, then slammmed onto his Keyblade.

I jumped off as Lance staggered to his feet.

"It's over now!" I shouted, channeling my energies into Omega Weapon. "Into this one blow I put all that I am; every last shred of my being that I can spare!"

Omega Weapon shone with an orange light that ascended unto the heavens.

"Fade into the darkness you love so much!" I shouted, then pointed Omega Weapon at Lance, unleashing all that I was...

"**LAST JUDGMENT!!!!**"

A massive beam of white and orange energy streamed out of Omega Weapon, drowning Lance in dawn energies. As he was drowned, I dashed into the surge of energy, striking Lance right though the heart.

Lance, still alive, staggered back as I drew back Omega Weapon. He held out his hand, curling his fingers as if to summon another Dark Phenomenon or his dark Keyblade, but gave up momentarily. After that, he simply slumped over, finally... dead. It was truly, finally over.

For **GOOD** this time.

------------------

MORE ON 'LAST JUDGMENT': Roy's ultimate technique: by calling on divine powers, he is able to judge the souls of his enemies, dealing instant death by way of light energy. The opponent's death is assured because, though unnecessary, Roy dashes into the energy to stab his opponent in the physical heart.


	73. Epilogue: Fate of the Unknown

**Epilogue: Fate of the Unknown**

I went dashing into the Radiant Garden's castle. Everyone was waiting there for me...

"Everyone..." I gasped, "It's over. It's finally, truly over."

"So... let's rest," Jason sighed, plopping down in a plush chair. "That was way too much work..."

I turned to go out of the door.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked.

"Where else? To resume my wandering," I said.

"I thought you'd go home with us..." Jake said sadly. "You've been away for so long... you should rest, see the family."

"Jake..." I muttered, opening the door. "I don't have any skills that would be useful. Lance made me realize something... in a world that demands conformity and tedious jobs, I don't fit in. Here, though, where I can do well for myself by fighting, as I always have, I should be fine. This... these worlds need a guardian."

"Roy..." Jake muttered.

"Promise me one thing," I said.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Never give up hope. Whenever you need me the most, I'll be there. I promise," I called out, then muttered "Say hi to Mom and Dad for me!" as I walked out of the door.

**-ROY-**  
I stared out at the seemingly endless road that lay ahead of me. The sun was setting, lighting the clouds a brilliant shade of orange, while the sun itself was red.

"So... the fate of every Keyblade Master ends in violence and bloodshed. As if it matters," I sighed. "Why worry about something beyond my control? For now, I'll just follow my path and enjoy the stops along the way."

I set about walking down the path at a leisurely pace.

**-AMY-**  
"So, my light finally purges my darkness from me, and then runs off," I sighed to myself. "How ironc."

"He's my brother," Jake muttered. "You would think he misses his family, but NO..."

"What a slacker," we said in unison.

**-JASON-**  
"Man... I can't believe Roy ran off like that," I muttered, sinking into my plush chair. "He saves the world, then shirks getting the glory."

"Ah, who needs glory?" Serenity asked. "We can go home now. Why sit around here?"

"Well, for starters, we're heroes," I said. "We don't have to work hard, we've got good friends, and everything's easy. Life is good here."

"This... isn't life," Amy retorted. "Now let's go."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, slowly rising.

**-SERENITY-**  
"It's over now. Our battle's over," I said, walking down the hall. "We're going home."

"If you say so," Jason grumbled. "I like it here better."

"You'll like it when we get back home. It's boring here," I muttered.

"Naw. You see, here we can do what we want," Jason said. "We don't have rules or regulations. We're free."

"Nobody is free," I said quietly. "Not even one who wanders alone."

**-SORA-**  
We slowly stepped our way home. Kairi was at my side, smiling, as everyone came out of their houses. They all whispered and stared as we closed the door to our home.

"What's up with them?" I asked her. "It's not like we've been away for a long time."

"They just missed us. It'll be back to normal soon enough," Kairi said.

"If you say so."

**-KAIRI-**  
"So how's dinner?" I asked Sora.

"Not bad, not bad... after all, all we've had to eat for the past couple months is pretty much gruel," he said, smiling. We ate our dinner, then began washing the dishes.

"Do you think the battle will ever be over?" I asked him.

"Maybe," he replied, giving me a hug while we washed the dishes. "Maybe it'll never be over. Either way... I'll always be there for you."

**-RIKU-**  
"Man... they still didn't fix my door," I grumbled. "Can't believe everyone kicked my door down and just left it!"

I fixed it the next day, when I finally got a call. I wiped out the Nobodies and was paid fairly well.

After all, I'm the Nobody hunter, the only one in the world!

**-JAKE-**  
"Everyone... thanks for your support," I said, waving goodbye. "Sorry I don't have time to get to know you better, but I've got to get back to school."

"Take care!"

"Have a safe trip!"

"Don't get yourself killed again!"

I smiled as I sat down next to Aegle in our Gummi Ship, then drove home at last.

**-ROY 2-**  
I continued wandering until nightfall, when I stopped to sleep on a log.

"I guess my fate's unknown, even though everyone's said I can control it," I muttered, staring into the starry ether. "I'm not alone... not any longer. My light will always be at my side in spirit."

**THE END - FOR GOOD THIS TIME! SERIOUSLY! WELL, MAYBE SOME OMAKE LATER...**


	74. Omake

OMAKE! 

-This is just an omake (extra) chapter to clarify a few things, and to mess around.

**READ THE STORY FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T!!!**

Rough Approximations of Power Levels for OCs, as per KH bosses -note: these are only strength approximations; who would win in a contest of strength. It does not reflect on who would actually win in single combat.

Normal State unless otherwise stated (All): roughly equivalent to Sora/Riku

Normal (Roy): Riku II (Kingdom Hearts - Proud Mode)  
True Form (Roy): Saix (Kingdom Hearts II - Proud Mode)  
Aether Form (Roy): Sephiroth (Kingdom Hearts - Normal Mode)  
One-Winged Demon Form (Roy): Sephiroth (Kingdom Hearts II - Proud Mode)  
Demon Form (Roy): Data Xemnas Final (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)  
Angel Form (Roy): Terra (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)

Level 1 Cursed Seal (Jake): Riku II (Kingdom Hearts - Proud Mode)  
Level 2 Cursed Seal (Jake): Xemnas I (Kingdom Hearts II - Proud Mode)

Normal (Jason): Riku I (Kingdom Hearts - Normal Mode)

Dark Version (Amy): Xehanort's Heartless II (Kingdom Hearts - Normal Mode)  
Akuma (Amy): Sephiroth (Kingdom Hearts II - Proud Mode)

Black Armor (Oryx): Xemnas I (Kingdom Hearts II - Normal Mode)  
Unarmored (Oryx): Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Normal Mode)  
White Armor (Oryx): Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)  
White Armor (Future Oryx): Data Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)

Normal (Lance): Sephiroth (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)  
Dark Aura (Lance): Terra (Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix + - Critical Mode)

Finishing Classes

-skills go from Lv1 to Lv4, with 'Mastery' being the highest (Lv5). Roy, Amy, and Lance's classes are LV5 (Transcendent Classes); all others are LV4 (Limit Classes). Transcendent Classes grant the ability to exceed the Limits of Power; Limit Classes skirt along the Limits of Power without exceeding them. Roy was origninally able to exceed the Limits of Power in Part 2 because of his unique destiny-shifting nature; he is now able to do it normally.

Roy: Exalted Blademaster (Sword Mastery; Aura Mastery)

Amy: Divine Valkyrie (Sword Mastery; Light Magic Mastery)

Jake: Shadow Ranger (Stealth Skill Lv2; Sword Skill Lv2; Nature Magic Lv3)

Aegle: Valkyrie (Light Magic Lv2)

Jason: Guardian Ronin (Sword Skill Lv3)

Serentiy: White Sage (Light Magic Lv4)

Sora: Divine Guardian (Defensive Mastery; Red Magic Mastery; Sword Skill Lv4)

Riku: Shadow Lord (Dark Magic Lv4; Sword Mastery)

Kairi: Valkyrie (Light Magic Lv2)

Lance (Dead): Dark Lord (Dark Magic Mastery; Sword Mastery; Nature Magic Mastery; Aura Mastery)

Many chapters have musical themes, either written or alluded to in the chapter name. I do not claim the rights to these songs. These are:

4: Rise to the Challenge (_Fire Emblem_)

9: Softly with Grace (_Fire Emblem_)

15: Vergil Battle 2 (_Devil May Cry 3_)

20: Duel of the Fates (_Star Wars Episodes I - III_)/ Vergil Battle 3 (_Devil May Cry 3_)

35: Otherworld (_Final Fantasy X_)

45: Against the Black Knight (_Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance_)

50: End of a Thought (_Tales of Symphonia_)

50x: The Other Promise (_Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix +_)

52: Dark Messenger (_Final Fantasy IX_)

56: A Toccata into Blood-Soaked Darkness (_Castlevania: Curse of Darkness_)

57: Everything into the Dark (_Fire Emblem_)

58: The Extreme (_Final Fantasy VIII_)

59: Advent: One-Winged Angel (_Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children_)/ Anakin vs. Obi-Wan (_Star Wars Episode III_)

60: What I've Done (Linkin Park, _Minutes to Midnight_)

Ex 2: Darkness of the Unknown (Movement 2, _Kingdom Hearts II_)

Ex 3: Force Your Way (_Final Fantasy VIII_)

Ex 4: You're Not Alone! (_Final Fantasy IX)_

Ex 5: The Dark Crystals (_Final Fantasy III_)/ Darkness of the Unknown (Movement 3, _Kingdom Hearts II_)

Final: Rage Awakened (_Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix +_)

Epilogue: Fate of the Unknown (_Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix +_)

Closing Notes

To understand why Lance blames Roy for much of what happened, one must look at things metaphorically and figuratively. If Lance was the 'puppetmaster,' then Roy was a broken string; as such, Lance's plans were nearly constantly changing in response to Roy's actions. His 'breaking of destiny' or 'delaying of destiny' caused Lance's plans to generally fail, and as such he was the puppetmaster of a broken puppet.

While the others are done, expect to see some future but minor appearances from Roy, and two possible Pirates chapters featuring all of the main characters, as well as a Jake/Oryx duel alluded to in 50x.


	75. 28x: Forgotten Challenge

**Chapter 28x: Forgotten Challenge**

_BGM: Forgotten Challenge (_KH: Re:CoM_). I don't claim the rights to the song._

A Black Knight walked across the Fragment Crossing, returning to his self-imposed post at the top of the Altar of Naught. However, just as he was about to go to the Edge of Despair, from the top of Memory's Skyscraper, he heard someone shout his name...

"**ORYX!!!**" he heard a familiar voice shout. The Black Knight looked atop the Memory's Skyscraper, where an orange-coated man stood.

"I know that voice... somehow..." the Black Knight responed. "Your name... it is Jake, is it not?"

Jake Hartmut jumped down the Memory's Skyscraper, landing smoothly on the platform just in front of the doors. The Black Knight slowly strode up to him, staring at the orange-coated warrior he could barely remember.

"Your voice... I know you. You... the one named Jake Hartmut," the Black Knight said. "Who are you?"

"In some small way," Jake muttered, "I'm your brother. However... I'm also your assassin."

"What business do you have in killing me?" the Knight asked.

"If I kill you, Roy might die," he answered. "Even if he doesn't, he'll never reach his full potential with you dead."

_Roy... Hartmut? Is that... my true name? Who I truly am?_

Jake made hand seals, then tore open a hole in space-time. He pulled a flamberge out of it.

"Prepare yourself, Roy. You see... even if your armor's unbreakable, I'll kill you," Jake said. "No matter what."

_Roy..._

The Black Knight unsheathed his purple Keyblade... Alpha Weapon.

"I see... you truly are... him..." Jake muttered. Jet-black lightning bolts began to spread across his skin. "Then I'll fight you as I would fight him... unrestrained!"

"If you would fight me as if I were someone else, then I shall give you no quarter," the Black Knight replied. "Your darkness is strong... but it won't be enough."

"We shall see," Jake replied to the Black Knight's comment.

The two rushed at each other. The Black Knight attacked Jake's shins, but was hit in the head. He was unfazed, stood up, and struck at Jake's chest. Jake parried the blow, but the force of the Black Knight's stroke sent him skidding back. He then jumped atop the Skyscraper, while the Black Knight followed with a sonic screech. On the roof, the two attacked and parried each others' strokes at sonic speeds, while the Black Knight used the sounds to attack Jake's ears. It proved mildly successful, reducing Jake's sensitivity to sounds.

The Black Knight knocked Jake off of the Skyscraper, then gave pursuit. Jake put up his blade after landing, blocking the Knight's attack. The Black Knight jumped back to his original position. Jake rushed at him, making several high-speed strikes, but didn't even manage to scratch the Black Knight's armor.

The Black Knight moved to strike Jake's left arm, but was blocked. He took a few more ineffective attacks, then attacked Jake's right arm, but was blocked once more. Jake backed off.

"I see... regular physical attacks are meaningless," he said, making hand seals. "So how about some special moves?"

Jake's grin was illuminated by the lightning from his Chidori.

Jake charged ahead, intending to kill the Black Knight with a Chidori to the heart. The move connected...

but only scratched the Black Knight's armor.

"WHAT?!" Jake shouted. "A Chidori punches through anything... why can't I hurt your armor?!"

"My armor is filled with the darkness of time," the Knight answered. He then grabbed Jake's wrist and threw him back. "Unless you control light, you cannot pierce it."

_The light of the Keyblade..._

Jake closed his eyes.

"I see... so you are him... you truly, truly are him..." Jake smirked. "So be it."

A great dark aura began to flow out of Jake. The Black Knight had to brace himself, despite his heavy armor, against the force of the darkness. The Black Knight lowered his arm after the darkness subsided.

Jake... had turned into a monster. His Level 2 Cursed Seal.

"Only more darkness," the Black Knight said. "It won't help."

"It's my hope," Jake said with a voice distortion, "that my darkness will overwhelm yours. If this isn't enough, not much else is."

"Such a fool," the Black Knight replied. Jake jumped atop a building, and the Black Knight gave pursuit. The two jumped across the buildings, parrying and striking at supersonic speeds. Each blow sent out a shockwave of force that runbled the buildings they were on. Jake blasted the Black Knight with Chidori, Swamp of the Underworld, and a variety of other moves, but with his sonic powers and impenetrable armor, all was for naught.

After several minutes of attacking atop the skyscrapers, the two moved back to the Memory's Skyscraper. Rain began falling, and lightning rumbled the air. After hypersonic strikes and parries that sent the rain flying around them, Jake and the Black Knight stood locked in a contest of strength.

"Roy... my brother," Jake sneered as he pushed the Black Knight back. "Don't you remember?"

"I vaguely remember a Roy," the Black Knight answered. "He's a murderer, his soul stained with blood that drips from his aura. I'm not him... I protect."

The Black Knight began to push back.

"I know you... you're... my brother," the Black Knight said. "I care about you. So why are we fighting?"

Jake's Cursed Seal receded to Level 1.

"Why are we fighting?" Jake asked. "Maybe because of what you've done... someone with a soul like yours can't be allowed to live."

Jake pushed the Black Knight back.

"No... I'm me! Oryx, the Black Knight!" Oryx replied, shoving Jake back into a building. "I'm not Roy! He's a destroyer of life... I'm it's guardian!"

Oryx struck Jake three times in his chest, tearing open bloody cuts. He turned around and sheathed his Keyblade.

"You... brother," he said. "Leave this place and never return. If you do, I'll be waiting."

Jake sneered, then disappeared into a dark corridor.

"My real self... I wonder if he's as terrible as Xemnas said..." Oryx muttered to himself, walking off.

**END CHAPTER 28x.**


	76. Epilogue Exception: Beyond the Door

**Epilogue - Exception: Beyond the Door**

A red-coated man walked into the computer terminal in Hollow Bastion's basement. He approached the keyboard, then put a disk in the drive. A password screen popped up, and he entered the password. Six more password screens popped up, and he then entered them. The disk then slid out, and he took it and tucked it inside his coat. He walked a bit further into the Heartless factory, where the ground shimmered and split apart, revealing a staircase.

The man tread down the stairway, turned, then walked down a very long spiral ramp to a door as the ground came back together and the staircase disappeared.

_Only those that can both sense and manipulate aura can open it..._

The door opened itself with a wave of his hand, and he proceeded past ten chained doors on both sides. At the end of the hallway was a door with the Nobody symbol on it in two places. He waved his hand again, and the door opened. Inside was a white room with black chains on the floor, leading to a small seat with the Nobody symbol on its back. In front of the chair was a suit of armor, tinted blue in places, and a Keyblade.

The red-coated man walked in and sat down in the seat, causing the chains to become white.

_What is it you want, demon?_

"Call me what you will. It's not gonna change anything," the man said.

_Again... what is it you want?_

"I came... to learn the truth. The whole truth."

_The whole truth? What does that mean, exactly?_

"I've learned all I can about the present... about what happened around fifteen years ago, with Xehanort and whatnot... but I need to go further back, and you're the only one I can count on for something like that."

_You mean... the Keyblade War, and the Sealed Story of Truth._

"Yes."

_Why do you want to know about that tragedy?_

"History is bound to repeat itself... it nearly happened again. A war with Keyblades."

_So that was what happened before... I see._

"If I learn the truth about the past, perhaps I can break the cycle and stop history from repeating itself."

_But you're a demon... immersed in the darkness, not even fit to wield a Keyblade. What can you possibly do?_

"Darkness or light... it didn't matter to me. For those I must protect, I cannot lose... and darkness, despite being costly, is an easier to obtain power than light."

_So..._

The red-coated man summoned a serrated black Keyblade with a broken keychain.

"Even being a demon, immersed in darkness... I broke fate. I know fates are necessary... but I..."

_If a demon _can _wield the Keyblade, I suppose I can tell you._

"Thank you, Aqua."

_Your name, demon?_

"... Hartmut. Roy Hartmut."

_Roy Hartmut, the first one I have seen since Xehanort a few months ago... the Sealed Story of Truth is a long tale._

"It's all right. I've got time."

**END**


End file.
